Former Ole Miss DT Robert Nkemdiche was one of the biggest busts of the 2016 NFL Draft’s first round after he was chosen by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 29 pick.

Nkemdiche appeared in only five games and recorded only a single tackle as a rookie last season, leading coach Bruce Arians to question his maturity and work ethic.

However, through the first session of OTAs this offseason, Arizona defensive line coach Brentson Buckner told AZCardinals.com that he’s been impressed with what he’s seen from the ex-Rebel:

“I’ve been happy with him,” Buckner said. “I never got down on him. I didn’t expect him to come in and do all that dominating, because I knew the position. It takes time. It takes some guys even longer. He is starting to come around. He’s in great shape. He’s fully back from the ankle. You see the natural ability take over. Now it’s all about Robert.”

To his credit, Nkemdiche said he understands what his coaches were trying to teach him by not playing him very much last season and added that he’ll work hard to make sure they feel comfortable putting him on the field this fall:

“Frustrated means that you’re not aware of the lesson you are being taught,” Nkemdiche said. “I wasn’t frustrated. Of course I think things could have gone differently, but they didn’t. That’s what this world set up for me. Last year wasn’t my year to be ready. So I took a step back, learned from it, and got a better understanding about how to be a professional football player.”

It remains to be seen how much of an impact Nkemdiche will have on the Arizona defense this season, but it sounds like he’s back in his coaches’ good graces, which will give him the opportunity to show what he can do on the field.