Tim Hawk | For NJ.com

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By Matt Lombardo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

PHILADELPHIA -- Through the first nine games of his second NFL season, Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz isn't just the favorite to win the MVP award, but he has emerged as one of the most dominant and popular players in the league.

Just one year after being chosen No. 2 overall out of North Dakota State, Wentz is the first quarterback in the league to throw 23 touchdowns this season while leading the Eagles to an 8-1 start and the best record in the league.

What makes Wentz special? How has he gone so quickly from the Eagles' third string quarterback last summer behind Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel to arguably the best player at the most important position in football?

Here are 11 accounts of what makes Wentz special as told by teammates, coaches and opponents:

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Michael Perez | AP Photo

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1. Carson Wentz exudes confidence - Eagles' RT Lane Johnson

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The circumstances surrounding Wentz's arrival in Philadelphia certainly were unique.

On one hand, the Eagles had executed a pair of trades moving up from the No. 13 overall pick in the NFL Draft to No. 8 in a trade with the Miami Dolphins, prior to vaulting up to the No. 2 selection in a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns, with the singular mission of coming out of the 2016 NFL Draft with Wentz as the franchise quarterback.

However, Wentz spent the entire spring and training camp over the summer as the third quarterback on the depth chart behind Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel.

When Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater shredded his knee in practice, the Eagles traded Bradford to Minnesota in exchange for a 2017 first-round draft pick and Wentz was named the team's starting quarterback eight days prior to the season opener against the Browns.

Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson says he is still amazed at the confidence Wentz showed both prior to Bradford being traded as well as how that confidence has translated to dominance on the field this season.

"Right when Sam [Bradford] got traded, he was the starting quarterback last year," Johnson told NJ Advance Media last week. "How confident he was in that moment and he really approached that in a great way, rather than being intimidated by the whole situation. How early he gets here is insane. Sometimes he gets here by 5:30 or 6:00 to watch film. What he does behind the scenes, even things that we sometimes don’t see, really makes him special.

“He disappeared into the film room, and that was it. When we announced that he was the starter at a team meeting, we were all in. We trusted him. This year, you can see that he’s putting it all together. He’s making plays with his feet and getting out of situations that in his rookie year he could do it, but he wasn’t as comfortable with it as he is now.”

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Matt Rourke | AP Photo

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2. Not being a leader is 'unnatural to him' - Eagles TE Zach Ertz

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It's easy to see now that Wentz has all of the trappings of a franchise quarterback from his arm-strength, mobility, football acumen and perhaps most importantly, his command of the locker room and huddle.

However, not every quarterback reaches the stature of being a franchise's unquestioned leader and face, let alone in just two seasons and after being thrust into that role eight days before the first game of his rookie season.

Eagles tight end Zach Ertz says that it was 'unnatural' for Wentz not to be in that role from the moment he stepped off the plane a day after hearing his name announced by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on the stage of the NFL Draft in Chicago.

"When he first got here, not being the leader of this football team was unnatural to him," Ertz told NJ Advance Media. "He didn’t feel comfortable in that role. As the leader of a football team right now, you can see looking back how uncomfortable it must have been for him.

"Right when he got named the starter, it was like a light switch got switched. He never wanted to step on anyone’s toes, especially Sam, and Chase was here. He was the third-string guy. Looking back at him now, he’s so vocal and he wants things exactly how he wants them. Back then, he didn’t really have that opportunity to tell people how he wanted things to be or how to go.”

Wentz's confidence and leadership has gone beyond how he conducts himself around teammates, he has reached a point in his development where debates over strategies and game-planning sometimes even get heated between the quarterback and offensive coordinator Frank Reich.

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3. Wentz has gotten into heated debates with coaches - Eagles' offensive coordinator Frank Reich

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The tangible results of Wentz's relentless work ethic that Johnson described and coaches frequently speak about in terms of his early morning film study and extra time on the practice field every Sunday.

One of the elements of that preparation, as Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich pointed out last week, is the fact that Wentz has been known to get into heated debates in the meeting room with coaches, dating all the way back to his time at North Dakota State.

“I remember one of the things going there and him saying that his coaches used to say that he had a lot of arguments with his offensive coordinator," Reich said during an October press conference. "For me, I took that as a good thing, because he knew what he wanted, he knew what was good, and we welcomed that and that's a good dynamic. We're all stubborn. Coaches, players, you’re very confident in what you know and what you believe and what you want.

"And so we have good discussions and we take a lot of input from Carson, like we do all of our players. Certainly from the quarterback position there's a unique contribution I think that you can make and that he can make, but he's still -- what we appreciate about him is that he's mature enough to understand there's a process.”

As a result of those heated conversations, the Eagles have actually implemented plays and concepts from the NDSU playbook that Wentz is comfortable with, which has resulted in Wentz completing 60.5 percent of his passes for 2,262 yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions this season.

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4. Wentz's ability to make plays with his legs 'devastates' defenses - Redskins' S D.J. Swearinger

In front of a nationally televised Monday Night Football audience against the Washington Redskins back in Week 7, Wentz's ability to both make precision throws and extend plays were on full display.

One play in particular, where the Redskins swarmed Wentz in the backfield before he scrambled for an 18 yard gain on 3rd down and 8 in the third quarter, was described by safety D.J. Swearinger as 'devastating.'

"It's difficult," Swearinger admitted after the game. "Especially when we have him covered for a sack and he ends up busting out for a long run. So it's definitely devastating when you see him running around. He's a great quarterback.

"That’s the type of guy he is, he gets out of trouble, he breaks tackles, and he throws dimes. He’s a great quarterback and he’ll be one of the greats in this league for a long time. We just have to find a way to win the next time.”

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5. Wentz can make the kind plays Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady do - Eagles' RB LeGarrette Blount

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Eagles running back LeGarrette Blount has shared backfields with Super Bowl winning quarterbacks Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger during his time with the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers.

After nine weeks, and seeing Wentz steadily improve each game, Blount says he believes that Wentz's skill-set includes the best attributes of both Roethlisberger and Brady.

“He can make the same plays that guys like Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger can make," Blount said following Sunday's 51-23 win over the Denver Broncos. "As far as Big Ben, Carson can make those plays with his feet and get out of trouble, and make the play last longer and make whatever the necessary throw is to get the ball downfield. Obviously, he has really good precision and accuracy.He’s putting the ball exactly where it needs to be, where only our guys can get it. He’s going to end up being a really, really special player. You’re seeing it with your own eyes right now.”

Between them, Brady and Roethlisberger have passed for 112,999 yards with 783 touchdowns and have won seven Super Bowl rings. Obviously, Wentz has a long road to approach the stature of one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game, but he certainly has shown this season that he's capable of possibly one day rising to that level.

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6. As good as he is on the field, he may be a better person - Eagles OG Stefen Wisniewski

Away from football, Wentz is actively involved in the Audience Of 1 movement and has worn the AO1 cleats during the NFL's 'My Cause, My Cleats' games.

Eagles left guard Stefen Wisniewski says he believes that Wentz's faith in Christ is something that both helps him remain humble amid success but also as a driving force behind his work ethic to be the best quarterback he can be.

"He's really driven by his faith in Christ," Eagles left guard Stefen Wisniewski told NJ Advance Media following Sunday's win over the Denver Broncos. "I'm a Christian, as well, so we hang out and talk about that stuff and read the Bible together. We pray together. That's something that really drives him, it really motivates him, and really gives him a purpose. It also gives him a drive.

"I think it helps keep everything in perspective for him, too. He's had a lot of success, but it's definitely not going to his head. He has a lot of humility and I think that his faith is a big part of that."

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Mitchell Leff | Getty Images

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7. Charity work sets Wentz apart - Eagles' DE Chris Long

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Earlier this season, Wentz took part in a charitable challenge with Eagles tight ends Trey Burton and Zach Ertz, as well as Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins to raise money and awareness about ending human trafficking.

Wentz also went on a mission to Haiti with former Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews to help rebuild and paint homes in a village.

That charity work stood out to new teammate Chris Long, who is donating all 16 of his game-checks to charity this season.

“His charity work is pretty awesome," Long told NJ Advance Media last week. "I know he’s done a lot of mission work down in Haiti. Everybody knows he’s a good guy. Just having conversations with him about everything that he does off the field, is pretty cool.”

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Bill Streicher | USA TODAY Sports

8. He's the kind of guy you'd want your kids to look up to - Eagles WR Torrey Smith

Eagles wide receiver Torrey Smith has been an active advocate, along with teammate Malcolm Jenkins, for criminal justice reform and has been active in the communities of Baltimore, San Francisco and Philadelphia, along with his family in various charitable outreach efforts.

Smith can frequently be found speaking on FaceTime with his wife and children following practice at the NovaCare Complex.

The father of two sons, Smith says that Wentz is the type of person he wants his kids to look up to as a role model.

“He’s exactly who you think he is," Smith told NJ Advance Media of Wentz last week. "He’s a guy you want your daughter to date and your kids to look up to him as a role model. He’s a great guy. The relationship and bond that we have as teammates on this team, he’s a huge part of that.”

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Matt Lombardo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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Eric Hartline | USA TODAY Sports

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9. Wentz's focus, preparation are legendary around the NovaCare Complex - Eagles S Malcolm Jenkins

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As active as Wentz is in the community and his own charitable outreaches, none of his off the field efforts get in the way of his preparation.

“Carson’s pretty no-nonsense," Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins told NJ Advance Media. "When it comes to the season, he’s very locked in on the next game preparation, routine. Even other players’ charity events, it’s not because he doesn’t support what we’re trying to do, but he usually doesn’t go. He’s just so locked into his routine. He’s the same guy every single day.”

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Bill Streicher | USA TODAY Sports

10. We knew almost immediately he was special - Eagles QB coach John DeFilippo

During the time the Eagles spent scouting Wentz, members of the organization and coaching staff spent time with him the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and also flew to North Dakota to put him through a workout and spend time with him in his hometown.

It didn't take long for those interactions to leave the coaching staff not only impressed, but with the belief that Wentz is both a special quarterback and person worth aggressively trading up to draft No. 2 overall and build the franchise around.

"We knew the first time we met him," Eagles quarterback coach John DeFilippo said Tuesday. "The first time we met him during the draft meetings last season, just getting to spend time with him. I always talk about the time I had a chance to get around him during the Senior Bowl ... The way he moved around and interacted with people was different. In a good way.

"Once you get the chance to meet him as a young man, it proves the point. He's just so further along from a mental football standpoint than other guys coming into the league that it allows him to grow even faster. To me, that's why you've seen him make such a jump from Year 1 to Year 2.

"Not only did he do a great job over the offseason fixing a few things, but he and I have talked a lot about what we need to do mechanically. Now, we have his arm-slot where we need it to be, and on top of that he trusts his teammates, his coaches, another year of playing, that's why you see him playing the way he is right now."

Given Wentz's personality, openness to criticism and applying lessons in the meeting room to both the practice field and game-day, DeFilippo says he isn't surprised to see Wentz succeed as quickly as he has.

"We expect that out of our quarterbacks. We expect them to play well. To make some of the plays that he's made, there aren't many quarterbacks in this league that can make some of the plays that he's made this year. The touchdown pass to Corey Clement where he escaped pressure in the pocket against the Redskins and made a perfect throw on a wheel-route, there aren't many guys on this planet that can make that play. Obviously we didn't expect him to make that kind of play, but, To say that he's been playing at a high level, yeah, that's what we expect."

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Michael Perez | AP Photo

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11. Here's the most random thing people don't know about Carson ... - Eagles TE Trey Burton

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Beyond what he brings to the team as a leader and a quarterback, Wentz is an elite athlete.

Asked to identify the one thing that people outside the walls of the NovaCare Complex don't know about Wentz, Eagles tight end Trey Burton identified a quirk in Wentz's skill-set on the basketball court.

"The most random thing about Carson ... " Burton told NJ Advance Media. "Is that every time he shoots a basketball, he has to jump. He can’t shoot standing up. He’ll jump every single time, even on pop-a-shot. Even from the free-throw line.”

From the sounds of it, Wentz's form in the pocket is much more fluid than it is from the free-throw line. And that's just fine with the Eagles.

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Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders perform during the game against the Denver Broncos at Lincoln Financial Field, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017.

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HOW TO REACH ME:

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Matt Lombardo may be reached at MLombardo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattLombardoPHL.

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Matt Lombardo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com