How Drew Mukuba knows he has already caught up after injury

How Drew Mukuba knows he has already caught up after injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Eagles rookie Drew Mukuba missed some time earlier in training camp with a shoulder injury.

But he doesn't look behind anymore.

I feel very comfortable," Mukuba said. I feel like I've done everything I needed to do and I've caught up."

The confident second-round pick missed three full days of practice and was limited in three more. But on Tuesday, his third day back as a full participant, Mukuba got first-team reps at safety to start the day.

Even though Sydney Brown seemed to be widening the gap during Mukuba's absence, the rookie is right back in the thick of the competition to win a starting safety job.

How does Mukuba know he caught up?

Just by practice, how practice has been going," Mukuba said. I feel like I'm confident out there, making the right calls, knowing what to do, knowing where I'm supposed to be at, knowing where other guys are supposed to be at. Just me knowing that, me feeling confident just tells me that I'm doing the right things, that I'm heading the right way."

Back in the spring, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said the battle for the safety job next to Reed Blankenship in the Eagles' defense was a three-way race between Brown, Mukuba and Tristin McCollum. Early in training camp, Brown was on the field with the ones to start Day 1 and Mukuba took that honor on Day 2. But then Mukuba got hurt on Day 3 and that threw a wrench into the competition. Tuesday was just the second time all summer that he took the field before Brown.

But with plenty of time before the Eagles' season opener on Sept. 4 - time that includes two more preseason games and two joint practices with the Browns - Mukuba is making a charge.

I feel like I'm heading the right way as far as getting everything down, learning the safety position, learning the dime position," he said. But I'm coming along, I'm pretty good. We're just going to continue to get better and learning."

Mukuba is a confident rookie and he feels like he belongs. But there have been a few moments that have reminded him he's in the NFL and no longer at Texas or Clemson anymore. The quarterbacks at this level can be surgical.

A particular play from Tanner McKee on third down earlier in training camp really stands out to him.

I was a quarter safety and I was breaking down and he literally threw a ball on the opposite shoulder where I was breaking from," Mukuba said. In college, that would have been a pick or a PBU. But here, he completed it on the other side where I wasn't coming from. That play specifically kind of tells me this is definitely different."

Whether or not Mukuba wins a starting safety job, it seems pretty clear that the No. 64 overall pick will have some sort of role as a rookie. Throughout the summer, he has taken reps as the sixth defensive back in the team's dime package.

On Tuesday, after starting the practice at safety, he bumped up in the dime package and was replaced by Brown.

I have embraced that role," Mukuba said. Obviously, trying to learn and grow in that role because I didn't really play much in dime in college. Well, I did, but not in games. Just learning. I feel like I'm taking steps learning that as well. It's been good."

Mukuba missed the Eagles' first preseason game and admitted it was difficult to watch.

So he's looking forward to playing in his first NFL game when the Eagles host the Browns on Saturday afternoon at the Linc.

I'm really looking to prove myself, to be honest with you," he said. To show that I belong here. Show that I can play at this level, with these guys that's playing at a high level. Just a way to prove myself, believe in myself."