NFL Draft

Raiders Might Have a Huge Draft Steal in QB Aidan O'Connell

The rookie from Purdue continues to impress in preseason action.

Luke Easterling

Raiders Might Have a Huge Draft Steal in QB Aidan O'Connell
Raiders Might Have a Huge Draft Steal in QB Aidan O'Connell /
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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.

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Luke Easterling
LUKE EASTERLING

Luke Easterling (he/him) has been covering college football and the NFL for more than two decades, with a particular focus on the nexus of both, the NFL Draft. Writing for some of the largest and most recognizable brands in sports media, Luke's experience and expertise in evaluating potential NFL prospects and evaluating team needs/fits has earned the appreciation of his readers, and the respect of his peers. Luke cut his sports journalism teeth at The Tampa Tribune before spending two years at Bleacher Report as a featured columnist covering the NFL Draft and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luke then spent nearly seven years at USA TODAY Sports Media Group as editor of Draft Wire and Bucs Wire, building both into authoritative destination sites for their respective audiences. Now at The Arena Group, Luke covers the NFL and college football for Athlon Sports, and runs Sports Illustrated's FanNation site for the NFL Draft. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Luke has been a featured guest on ESPN Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Fox Sports Radio, SiriusXM and more.  Based in Tampa, Florida (the true home of the Cuban sandwich), Luke plays the drums, loves 2000s pop-punk, watches way too many British murder mystery shows, and channels the energy of his deep-south Grammy and his full-Italian Nana in the kitchen. Twitter: @lukeeasterling Email: luke.easterling@si.com

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