Over the last decade or so, the NFL has welcomed an increasing number of international players. In 2017, the NFL established the International Pathway Program to ‘provide elite athletes from around the world the opportunity to earn a spot on an NFL roster and increase the number of international players in the league.’
Through this program, the league has welcomed a number of players from different backgrounds who otherwise may not have had the opportunity to feature or try out for an NFL team. Nigerian players are strongly represented this season with many of them coming through the international pathway program. These players will certainly be having an impact on the NFL futures odds.
With a strong Nigerian class of players on rosters around the league heading into the 2023-24 season, let’s take a look at those who could impress the most.
2023 International Pathway Class
There is a new class of IPP players for the upcoming season and there is a considerable number of Nigerian talents among the ranks. Of the 11 players in the class, six of them were Nigerian and will be hopeful of making a splash in the league in the 2023-24 season.
- Basil Chijioke Okoye – Los Angeles Chargers
- Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi – Denver Broncos
- David EbukaAgoha – Las Vegas Raiders
- Chukwuebuka Godrick – Kansas City Chiefs
- Kenneth Odumegwu – Green Bay Packers
- Roy Mbaeteka – Chicago Bears
Of these players, perhaps the most eye catching is Mbaeteka. At 6-foot-8 and 331lbs, he could dominate in the O-line eventually as he pushes for a roster spot in the Windy City.
Nelson Agholor
Arguably the best and most successful player to come out of Nigeria is wide receiver NelsonAgholor. Born in Lagos, he was a first-round pick in the 2015 draft, going 20th overall to the Philadelphia Eagles before winning a Super Bowl with the team in 2017. His nine receptions in that game were tied at the highest with legendary Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. He was traded to the Baltimore Ravens in March of this year and with Lamar Jackson recently signing a contract extension, this new Ravens receiving lineup can thrive with Agholor leading as an experienced winner. To date, he has 4,426 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns over his career.
Joseph Ossai
Defensive end Joseph Ossai had an up and down season last year, with the down only really coming due to one costly error he made in what would end up being the Bengals final game of the season. In his 16 regular season games, he recorded 3.5 sacks, 17 total tackles and two fumble recoveries with one returned for a touchdown. His efforts helped Cincinnati to the AFC Championship game where they were leading the Kansas City Chiefs with just eight seconds on the clock.
However, Ossai would commit an unnecessary roughness penalty on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes which resulted in a 15-yard penalty to put kicker Harrison Butker in an advantageous position to convert his game winning field goal. Ossai received a lot ofbacklashes for his error, however, that may just make the Nigerian hungrier in 2023-24. Expect him to silence his doubters and have an impressive season in Cinci with NFL future odds having them among the favorites for the Super Bowl.
Emmanuel Ogbah
Veteran defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah had a season ending injury in week 10 last season but like Ossai’s situation, this could make him all the hungrier. The Dolphins now have a new defensive coordinator alongside a host of shiny new stars and as the most senior defensive player on the team, Ogbah is likely to lead by example.
Speaking to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, via NFL.com, Ogbah said “I’m excited about this defense. We’ve got [defensive coordinator] Vic [Fangio] coaching us up. I can’t wait. It’s been a long time coming. This year, I feel like this is the year. We can be as good as we want to be. I’m ready to go out there and dominate.” The Dolphins are in for a big year and Ogbah can play an important part in any success.
David Onyemata
Despite not having the best couple of years stemming from his ban in 2021, things may be looking up for Lagos-born Onyemata. He left the New Orleans Saints and signed a three-year $35 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, where he will link up with his former Saints position coach, Ryan Nielsen, who was named the Falcons defensive coordinator back in January. His interior pass rushing is very strong, and he improved as the season progressed last year, recording a sack in three straight games from Week 8 to 10, adding 1.5 more in the final three weeks. Onyemata is a veteran at 30 but the faith the Falcons are showing in him proves that there is still plenty more left in the defensive end.
