A new Gridiron season brings the opportunity for redemption for several African NFL players, many of whom endured a tricky 2016 season due to either injury or poor form.
Here are six players who will be eager to impress come early September.
Cedric Ogbuehi (Nigeria) - Left Tackle - Cincinnati Bengals
The third-year Cincinnati Bengals left tackle missed 11 games in his rookie season (due to his recovery from an ACL injury) and then participated in 14 games last season. Playing mostly at right tackle last season, Ogbuehi played well enough at the position but a move to his preferred left tackle position ironically saw him struggling. Ogbuehi was ranked as one of Pro Football Focus' lowest ranked tackles and he needs a big year to justify the Bengals' selection of him with the 21st overall pick in the 2015 draft.
To be fair to the former Texas A&M player, 2017 has been the first time he's been able to fully immerse himself in Bengals offseason and pre-season activities. The Bengals let veteran tackle Andrew Whitworth leave in the off-season, so much improvement will be expected of Ogbuehi as he protects quarterback Andy Dalton's blind side.
Robert Nkemdiche (Nigeria) - Defensive Tackle - Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals' first round pick in the 2016 draft, Nkemdiche didn't see much action early in the season and played in five games, recording one tackle and no sacks. This season, with veteran defensive tackle Calais Campbell gone to Jacksonville, Nkemdiche is expected to come into his own. So far, the disruptive defensive tackle has impressed coaches, teammates, and observers with his attitude and play, from training camp to the pre-season games.
Nkemdiche talked to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss about his play last season as he said: "There's a lot of things that I've done on tape that are not my standard.
"My confidence is always sky-high just because I know who I am and I have so much belief in myself. I know what limit I can reach, so my confidence is always at a primal [level]. I just want to keep that and keep getting better as player and as a person and keep being a professional."
As for the main difference between last season and this upcoming season, Nkemdiche added that he is understanding the plays and not playing hesitantly, grasping the defensive scheme so he's in the right position.
Ezekiel Ansah (Ghana) - Defensive End - Detroit Lions
Accra-born 'Ziggy' Ansah was very productive in his first three seasons in the league, compiling 128 tackles and 30 sacks in 46 games during that time. Last season was a difficult one for Ansah as he was hampered by ankle and shoulder injuries, which led to him missing three games and ending up with just two sacks for the season.
Now in a contract year (he will be an unrestricted free agent after this season), Ziggy will be out to prove that last season was an aberration caused by his injury and that he is back to being a nightmare for opposing offensive tackles and quarterbacks.
As ESPN's Michael Rothstein wrote about the importance of Ansah to the Lions defense, a return to his 2015 form would mean a massive payday for Ziggy, as well as bringing about a much stronger Lions defence.
Alex Okafor (Nigeria) - Defensive End - New Orleans Saints
Having playing his first four NFL seasons in Arizona, Okafor had a poor 2016 season for the Cardinals. One tackle and no sacks (by contrast, he recorded 8.5 sacks in 2014) didn't make the Cardinals believe it was a necessity to retain his services, especially after he fell back in the edge rusher depth chart behind Chandler Jones and Markus Golden.
Now in New Orleans, Okafor will be looking to rebound in the Crescent City and will be playing on a revamped Saints defense. Okafor has the chance to be a productive leader for the Saints as they embark on their mission to reclaim the NFC South title from the past two champions (Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers respectively).
On a one-year deal with the Saints that is essentially a 'prove yourself' agreement, Okafor will look to show up and show out for the Saints this season to increase his value in the next off-season. As he told ESPN's Mike Triplett after signing his deal, "Well, that's why I came here. I knew there'd be an opportunity to play right away."
Nelson Agholor (Nigeria) - Wide Receiver - Philadelphia Eagles
Selected with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft, Agholor has been a disappointment for the Eagles and is seemingly on his last chance in Philadelphia. After six drops with a meager two touchdowns in 2016, Pro Football Focus ranked Agholor as one of the worst receivers in the league, with a drop rate that put him at 90th out of 96 receivers.
Coach Doug Pederson has publicly expressed faith and confidence in Agholor, as has quarterback Carson Wentz, but a third subpar season will likely lead to the end of Agholor's time in Philly.
As Agholor told ESPN's Tim McManus, he has dwelled on mistakes too long in the past, allowing it to impact his performance after the fact. Agholor knows a productive season is needed, especially with less apparent pressure on him due to the signing of former Chicago Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery, as well as Torrey Smith in free agency.
Agholor is set to be the Eagles' slot receiver and will have the opportunity to get down the field more, as his two touchdowns last season were on passes of 20 yards plus. Prior to the start of the pre-season, McManus noted that "Agholor appears armed with more confidence and is trying to adopt a next-play mentality."
Owa Odighizuwa (Nigeria) - Defensive End - New York Giants
Great things were expected of Odighizuwa when the Giants drafted him in 2015. After putting together 12.5 sacks in his time at UCLA to go along with his athletic potential for the professional level, much was expected of the selection.
Giants fans could be forgiven for thinking that General Manager Jerry Reese had unearthed another talented defensive end, much like the Giants have been finding over the past decade and a half. But six tackles and no sacks in two seasons, coupled with a perplexing 2017 off-season in which Odighizuwa tweeted that he was "taking some time to get away from the game" (and then retracted it), has Giants fans confused as to his future with the team.
Odighizuwa is currently serving a four-game suspension after violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances and is only due back on October 2, but if he is focused upon his return, even if cut by the Giants and picked up by another team, Odighizuwa could still make an impact this season.
"It's been awhile [since we've known he wanted to continue playing]," Reese said to ESPN's Jordan Raanan. "He has been ready to play. He had some things he had to take care of and he's out there ready to go and ready to compete."