The pads were on for the first time during this year's training camp, and there was plenty of excitement on both sides of the ball. Let's go over some of the highlights.

-- As always, there was a different kind of energy surrounding the practice facility with the pads on, and the team pushed the players right into a competition where the ball was lined up at the 3-yard line. One player stood out immediately: linebacker Sonny Styles. His speed and instincts have been fun to watch throughout camp, but it was more apparent with the pads on. On the first play of practice, Styles met Jacory Croskey-Merritt at the line of scrimmage, delivering a pop that could be heard from the sideline. He made a similar play in the next team drill, filling a running lane and taking the runner down for no gain.

-- The first drill was indicative of how the practice went for both sides of the ball. Players were competing on every play, and each unit had some positive moments. Right after Styles' tackle on Croskey-Merritt, Marcus Mariota connected with the running back for a touchdown. Perhaps the best catch of the day came when the starting offense was on the field, as Jayden Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin in the back corner of the end zone for the score, despite Mike Sainristil providing tight coverage.

-- Daniels' connection with Chig Okonkwo continues to develop. Daniels completed a tight window throw to Okonkwo during team drills, and the tight end managed to corral the ball while falling to the ground in the back of the end zone.

-- Rachaad White's speed is going to be fun to watch this season. He beat the entire defense on an outside run and picked up another 10 yards before Will Harris could knock him out of bounds. White's best skill is his pass-catching ability, but he's shown that he can be a weapon with the ball in his hands, no matter how he gets it.

-- We're used to seeing players like Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson stand out on the defensive front, but rookie Joshua Josephs was one of the more entertaining players to watch today. Josephs' athleticism shone on Monday, as he was all over the field making plays. He batted down a pass from Daniels early in the day, and he showed impressive speed during pass protection drills. It's still unclear where he fits on the depth chart and how many snaps he'll get, but there have been signs of his potential.

-- While most people were focused on seven-on-seven drills, the offensive and defensive linemen were on the other side of the field running pass protection drills, as is the custom on the first day of pads. There was plenty to like from both sides of the ball. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil performed as expected, but Josephs was putting up a competitive fight. Sam Cosmi had two physical matchups with Javon Kinlaw. Cosmi won the first rep and put Kinlaw on the ground, while the second rep was more even. Oweh's speed helped him get past Josh Conerly Jr. with ease, and Chris Paul had a nice recovery after initially losing ground to Jer'Zhan Newton.

-- For those keeping count in the kicking competition, Jake Moody and Drew Stevens made all their field goals in special teams drills. Both players have looked sharp throughout camp, so it still seems like the competition will go all the way to roster cut day.

-- A lot of people were wondering how rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams would look with the pads on after getting open and creating separation in the first three days of camp. The answer is that he looked basically the same and continued to find ways of getting open. He had two touchdowns today, one of which came on the last play of two-minute drills. Williams practiced mostly with the second group today, but that could change soon because of how impressive the rookie has looked against defensive backs.

-- The rest of the tight end room has gotten more opportunities with John Bates sidelined while he's nursing a hamstring. Colson Yankoff is one of the players at the position who has gotten more snaps, and the former undrafted free agent made several plays on Monday. He scored a touchdown on his first catch of the day and caught another pass from Mariota during team drills. He caught another touchdown during seven-on-seven drills, snagging the ball out of the air while working with Sam Hartman at quarterback.

-- It was a solid day for linebacker Ale Kaho, who is fighting to earn a roster spot in a stacked position. He grabbed an interception from Athan Kaliakmanis during 11-on-11 drills and ended the day with a win for the defense from two-minute drills. Mariota was targeting Ben Sinnott on the two-point conversion, and the tight end appeared to have both hands on the ball, but Kaho managed to pop it loose before Sinnott could complete the catch. Kaho is on the outside looking in at the linebacker position, but he plays hard and has stretches where he is around the ball a lot. If anything, he could earn a spot on the practice squad or on special teams because of his work ethic.

-- Let's wrap things up with an injury update from head coach Dan Quinn. Linebacker Kain Medrano was removed from the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list on Monday and was cleared to practice. As for the rest of Washington's injured players -- Trey Amos, Tress Way, Nick Allegretti, Dorance Armstrong and Deatrich Wise Jr. -- there weren't any major updates or setbacks. Quinn said that Way and Amos have an evaluation set for Thursday, which will help the team determine the next steps for both players. Amos has been dealing with some hamstring tightness while recovering from a fractured fibula, while Way suffered a pectoral injury before camp.