Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell was selected with the final pick of the fourth round (135th overall) by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2023 NFL Draft. Las Vegas traded up for the pick. Their quarterback room includes Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer and Chase Garbers. Here's what you should know about O'Connell.
Is Aidan O'Connell good?
He walked on at Purdue in 2017 and did not play his first two years. He appeared in 9 games over the 2019 and '20 seasons, and was the starter in '21 and '22.
He passed for a career-high 536 yards in a 2021 victory over Michigan State and threw for 534 in an overtime win over Tennessee in the Music City Bowl that year.
Career totals: 66.7% completions for 9,291 yards, with 65 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. The Boilers were 15-11 in games in which he threw at least 25 passes.
Aidan O'Connell draft profile
NFL.com rates him as the 15th-best quarterback in the 2023 draft: "O’Connell’s 2021 tape is better than what we saw from him in 2022, but there were still flashes last season. He’s a pocket passer who can throw with solid accuracy over the first two levels but struggles with trajectory and rhythm on deep targets. O’Connell has below-average mobility inside and outside the pocket. He needs to keep his progressions on schedule and his throws on time to make up for average arm strength. He had to carry a heavy percentage of the offense on his back at Purdue and could benefit from an offense that allows him to manage games. O’Connell has backup potential and his upside is slightly above average."
The Draft Network rates him 12th: "O’Connell is a tough and gritty pocket passer. He is a rhythm and timing passer that thrives within the offense’s structure. He attacks the short region of the field with good accuracy and ball placement. He displayed the ability to put the ball where his wide receivers can make a play on it and is capable of leading receivers away from their defenders. O’Connell processes information at a quick rate to get the ball out of his hands in a timely manner in addition to seeing passing lanes open before the intended receiver enters his vision. This allows him to excel in quick passing concepts. He throws a nice, easily-catchable football.
"O’Connell has a gunslinger mentality at times but lacks the high-power equipment on his right arm. He does not consistently push the football upfield or on drive throws with optimal velocity. If he overcompensates to add more zip, he loses ball/spin control of the pass. He has solid movement skills in the pocket but is not a threat to hurt defenses with his legs. He should not be relied upon to extend plays out of structure. His game is predicated on getting what is designed. The lack of creativity or second-reaction plays can limit O’Connell’s ceiling at the next level. Pressure can disrupt his process immensely. When dialed up, free runners will speed up his process and force errant passes into compromising windows."
Aidan O'Connell brother
O'Connell played the Old Oaken Bucket game against Indiana with a heavy heart in the wake of the death of his brother, Sean. O'Connell passed for 290 yards and two second-half touchdowns in Purdue's 30-16 victory, and cried on the shoulder of the team chaplain at game's end.
O'Connell took a few days to be with his family before returning to play Michigan in the Big Ten championship game. The Boilermakers lost 43-22 as he passed for 366 yards.
"It's tough,” then-Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said afterward of what O’Connell had gone through. “No one wants to see that happen to anybody, but we knew what Aidan's all about, and I'm glad the whole country does now. He's a terrific young man."
Aidan O'Connell married
The start of the 2022 season was eventful as O'Connell attended Big Ten media days, got married to former Purdue volleyball Jael Johnson in Spencer, Indiana, and then immediately returned to Purdue's campus to start training camp.
"He has to come to practice right after getting married. The honeymoon can wait,” Brohm said.
O'Connell said at the time that he tries to appreciate all his opportunities, even if they take him in a lot of directions in a short period.
"I get to play football, I get to get married, I get to go to camp. A lot of people, like myself, when I was younger, would wish to be in this position. I try to be grateful where I am. I don’t always do a good job of that.”
