Wide receiver Cam Sims still has his Christmas tree up -- a circumstance that has delighted former Alabama and current Washington Redskins teammate Daron Payne.

But on Tuesday, Sims was lighting up Washington's secondary on the first day of the Redskins' mandatory minicamp.

Dwayne Haskins connects with Cam Sims as veteran minicamp gets underway at #Redskins Park. pic.twitter.com/TNgv1LvNxN — Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) June 4, 2019

After catching 41 passes during his four-season Alabama career, Sims signed with Washington as an undrafted rookie last year, led the Redskins with five catches for 131 yards in the 2018 preseason and made the regular-season roster as an undrafted rookie.

But blocking on the kickoff-return team in the opening seconds of the 2018 campaign, Sims suffered a high ankle sprain against the Arizona Cardinals. Carted off the field, he didn't play again last season.

Washington placed Sims on injured reserve after he got hurt. He recovered before the season ended, but he couldn't return to the field. Each NFL team is allowed to activate two players a season from IR, and the Redskins brought back wide receiver Trey Quinn and running back Byron Marshall in 2018.

During a Tuesday press conference, Washington offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell said Sims was making a mark during the Redskins' offseason program again.

“Everybody probably remembers he was a play-maker in training camp last year from Day 1 -- a really pleasant surprise,” O’Connell said. "We knew he had ball skills. We knew what maybe he potentially could be, but at Alabama there was so much talent there maybe the nation didn’t get to see some of those plays. And then he shows up here, he’s confident, he works extremely hard, he’s got a great skill set for that Z position, which we’re always looking for. And then the injury happens, and he’s kind of a forgotten guy for a year.

"We draft some young guys, we have some veterans coming back, but Cam's in a great spot right now. I think he's motivated to make sure he's in the mix every single day, and when his number's called -- you never can guarantee things in this system for guys, scripting plays and you're trying to get this guy a choice route or you're trying to get this guy a post or a go ball and then (Washington defensive coordinator Greg) Manusky decides to play a defense that makes the quarterback throw it here or there, so when his number's called it could be few and far between -- but it was good to see him really execute and make that deep play in two-minute. He made a couple of others -- caught the dagger in seven-on-seven -- so it's just good to see him showing up and finishing plays, for sure."

Cam Sims is headed to the mini-camp HOF. All kinds of grabs. Just hauled in bomb from Keenum. — Ben Standig (@BenStandig) June 4, 2019

Washington's top wide receiver in 2018, Josh Doctson, caught 44 passes for 532 yards and two touchdowns. The next two wide receivers on the Redskins' stat list in 2018 are no longer on the team, with Jamison Crowder going to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Maurice Harris leaving for the New England Patriots in free agency.

Paul Richardson will be back after playing in only seven games in 2018. He caught 20 passes for Washington.

The other 10 wide receivers on the Redskins' current roster combined for 13 NFL receptions in 2018. During the NFL Draft in April, Washington used a third-round pick on Ohio State wide receiver Terry McLaurin and a sixth-round selection on North Carolina State wide receiver Kelvin Harmon.

As for his Christmas tree, Sims told NBC Sports Washington he keeps it up because it makes his daughter happy.

“My daughter, she’ll get mad if I take it down,” Sims said. “And I can’t do that.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.