Raiders Might Have a Huge Draft Steal in QB Aidan O'Connell
It might be a little confusing for Las Vegas Raiders fans to still see a No. 4 slinging the ball around after watching Derek Carr head to the New Orleans Saints this offseason, but rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell is already carving out his own place with this new team.
A fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Purdue, O'Connell has wasted little time making his presence felt during his first preseason, looking poised and polished while carving up opposing defenses over the first two exhibition games of the year.
O'Connell has been particularly effective when throwing deep, and through two weeks of preseason action, he's the highest-graded quarterback in the league (per Pro Football Focus):
It looks like O'Connell might already have the Raiders' backup job behind veteran Jimmy Garoppolo in the bag:
Considering Garoppolo's injury history, that backup job could prove to be a significant role for O'Connell, as the rookie could easily end up in the starting spot should Jimmy G. prove unable to stay healthy again this year.
It sure looks like the Raiders landed a massive steal on Day 3 of this year's draft with the former Boilermaker.
