PHILADELPHIA -- His locker can be wheeled away at any moment, and that's OK with Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett for now.

The 14th overall pick seems to be taking the transition back to life as a little fish in stride. It was just a blink ago when he was breaking Reggie White's sack record at the University of Tennessee, thereby cementing his place in school and NCAA history. But the counter has since been reset to zero, and Barnett must show his mettle all over again now that he is on the pro level.

"Yeah, it feels like I'm a freshman again," he said following the Eagles' first training camp practice Monday. "I'm a rookie so it's just like college: I'm a freshman and I've got to come in and work hard, prove to my teammates that it's important to me and show the coaches that they can trust me if they put me on the field."

Symbolic of that change in stature, Barnett has been assigned a temporary, moveable locker in the center of the room as opposed to a permanent stall along the wall given to the regulars on the team. It's nothing more than a positional numbers game, but Barnett played off the concept while speaking to reporters.

""I like this locker right here," he said. "I haven't made no plays yet so I'm cool with this locker until I make some plays."

Barnett, who averaged 11 sacks over three years with the Volunteers, was selected by the Eagles to help strengthen a defense that finished middle of the pack with 34 QB takedowns last year. He has drawn the praises of veterans like tackle Lane Johnson and the coaching staff alike, even if it comes with the qualifier that the team has yet to strap the pads on.

"What I do love about him is he's a thermostat, he's not a thermometer," said Eagles defensive line coach Chris Wilson. "He's not trying go in and gauge the temperature of the room. He comes in, he has the right mindset. Those have all been characteristics that I like, but the only way to learn at this level is to play. Getting used to the speed of the game is a big part of his DNA right now."

Barnett has the opportunity to crack the defensive line rotation as a rookie. Former starting defensive end Connor Barwin is now with the Los Angeles Rams, leaving a void opposite Brandon Graham that the likes of Vinny Curry, Chris Long and Barnett will try to fill. The 21-year-old Barnett passed the first test with a solid showing during the Eagles' offseason training program.

"Barnett is promising," said Johnson. "He can bend the edge really well. They were comparing him to Myles Garrett in the draft. I think he bends the corner probably the best of anybody in the draft. He's a good player for us, gonna be good for us this year."

The intensity will be ratcheted up in the coming days and again come September, providing Barnett plenty of proving ground as he states his case once more.

"I've been pleasantly surprised but he's a rook and he's got a lot of things to learn," said Wilson. "But what I am pleased with is his overall ability. The talent level is something which will bode well for us and for him."