11-06-2023, 03:58 AM
The Raiders were expected to be in the market for a quarterback at some point during the 2023 NFL Draft.They finally elected to select one at the very end of the fourth round.Coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler swung a deal with their former organization, the Patriots to acquire the 135th pick. And with that selection the final choice in the fourth round the Raiders picked Purdue Steve Largent Jersey quarterback Aidan O'Connell.O'Connell was a popular sleeper in the lead up to the 2023 NFL Draft and it was expected that he would be chosen at some point during the first half of Day 3.But who exactly is Aidan O'Connell? Here's what to know about the newest quarterback for the Raiders and potential backup for Jimmy Garoppolo.BENDER: O'Connell is a 24-year-old quarterback who spent five years in college at Purdue. He was a part-time starter in 2019 and spent the 2020 season hurt before winning the starting job in 2021. He then started his final two years for the Boilermakers and enjoyed succe s with the team.O'Connell had an excellent 2021 season, completing 71.6 percent of his pa ses for 3,712 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He took a step back statistically in 2022, completing 64.1 percent of his pa ses for 3,490 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, but he still established himself as a popular sleeper candidate for the 2023 NFL Draft.Why?, many of Michael Dickson Jersey the league's coaches and talent evaluators were fans of the 6-3 3/8, 213-pound quarterback's skill set, most notably his prototypical frame and rock-solid accuracy."Aidan O'Connell Ugo Amadi Jersey is that cla sic NFL pocket pa ser," an NFC quarterbacks coach said. "Really good feel for the pa sing game, good feet, good timing, good arm, good accuracy. There's a lot of good traits about the kid. Just nothing elite to put him in the conversation with the other guys. ... I would say he's down the list because he's not an athlete, but people are going to like him due to that familiarity they're going to see a lot of familiar concepts on tape."Another evaluator said that O'Connell is "very good from a football-IQ standpoint." However, another outlined that the Purdue quarterback's skill set may limit him at the next level because of his lacking athleticism."I love O'Connell's makeup and all that,"an NFC executive said."He's accurate, the arm that's going to be able to compensate for some of the lack of athleticism . But at the end of the day, Tedric Thompson Jersey dude, he's a tree. He can't move. And this game has evolved so much."The Raiders liked O'Connell enough to make him the 135th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and it seems likely that he will be the team's backup quarterback. McDaniels expre sed a desire to find a quarterback who would be in Las Vegas during the offseason, so he may view O'Connell as the guy to hold the fort.TSN'S NFL DRAFT HQ | | That said, the Raiders are still planning on utilizing Jimmy Garoppolo as the team's new starter. As such, O'Connell will have to battle Brian Hoyer for the backup job behind Jimmy G as a rookie.Here's a look at how the Raiders' depth chart will likely shake out when OTAs begin.RankPlayer1Jimmy Garoppolo2Brian Hoyer3Aidan O'Connell4Chase GarbersLong-term, O'Connell will likely take over for Hoyer as the Tyler Lockett Jersey top backup behind Garoppolo. But for now, he should be slotted in as the third-string option behind the two veterans and ahead of Garbers.The Purdue product will look to change that as he ingratiates himself into the Raiders' offense.
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