NFL Draft Profile: Aidan O'Connell, Quarterback, Purdue Boilermakers
In this story:
Aidan O'Connell
Purdue Boilermakers
#16
Pos: QB
Ht: 6030
Wt: 213
Hand: 0968
Arm: 3228
Wing: 7628
40: 4.90
DOB: 9/1/1998
Hometown: Long Grove, IL
High School: Stevenson
Eligibility: 2023
One-Liner:
This is a prototypical-sized quarterback who is extremely tough. He is incredibly accurate and has perfect timing on his throws.
Evaluation:
This is one prospect who absolutely blew away expectations, starting his career as a walk-on and moving all the way up the depth chart into the starting job. This shows the work ethic and leadership he possesses because even when he was buried at the bottom of the depth chart, he never stopped working and became a very good player. A very accurate passer, it seems as though all his throws are right on target and only where his receiver can catch it. Impeccable timing on his passes, you can tell he used his first two seasons focusing on the mental aspect of the game. It just seems like no matter the situation or the defense he is facing, he is always prepared and knows what he needs to do. He is a very smart player and really uses his intelligence to his advantage. He doesn’t have the strongest arm, but his timing helps him overcome that. He will never throw a sixty-yard pass, however, he will throw the most accurate fifty-yard pass you will see. He has the athleticism to make plays with his legs but doesn’t run unless it’s the last option. He has no problem playing through contact, so he does not run much at all. Even when he is being hit by multiple players, his eyes stay downfield and he still makes surprisingly accurate throws.
Grade:
3rd-4th Round
Quotes:
“For the most part, my faith has always been an important part of my life. I haven’t always done a good job of making it a priority. When I was a young Christian, I wasn’t mature and often didn’t live how I knew I should be living. As I’ve matured, I have done a better job of making faith more important. Though I still have work to do, I am working every day to make sure I put God in the driver’s seat.” -- Aidan O'Connell
The Big Ten breakout star from a year ago, O’Connell looks to carry his momentum over from a year ago. Purdue won five of their final six games behind O’Connell, who threw for 2,494 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and just three interceptions during that span. With an aggressive yet efficient mindset, the Illinois native wins with tremendous accuracy, taking what the defense gives him but he isn’t shy about pushing the ball downfield. A strong leader, O’Connell completed over 70% of his passes a year ago, demonstrating the ability to make quick, accurate decisions. Entering his sixth season, he possesses an in-depth understanding of Jeff and Brian Brohm’s offense, which could cue him up for one of the great seasons in Boilermakers history. More of a traditional pocket-passer type, O’connell does have limited athleticism but he has steadily improved his mobility. Now, the former walk-on now finds himself amongst the best quarterback prospects in the nation. - Ric Serritella
Background:
Aidan O’Connell is a perfectly built quarterback at his size. He made his name known beginning in 2019 where he completes almost sixty three percent of his passes and had an impressive start versus Indiana where he had a career high four hundred and eight yards passing. In 2020 he had an impressive three hundred and five passing yards per game and is looking to continue his success in 2021 for Purdue.
