AOC. Farva. Super Trooper. All the aforementioned monikers are bestowed upon Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell. Here’s another one: AO-K.
The Silver and Black’s fourth-round pick (135th overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft showcased the efficiency that made him the scrappy quarterback as a Purdue Boilermaker. O’Connell’s accuracy was on display, as was the decisiveness he displayed on the collegiate landscape. Two drops and a throwaway after he avoided a sack were his only incompletions as O’Connell zipped passes, going 15 of 18 for 141 yards and a touchdown.
Not bad, O’Connell. Not bad at all.
When compared to his San Francisco 49ers counterpart, Trey Lance, O’Connell appeared to be the one entering his third year in the NFL. A far cry from not being a pro neophyte. Considering O’Connell is nearly 25 (he turns that age on September 1), perhaps it isn’t surprising he had a more even flow than Lance. Don’t forget, Lance is only 23. But O’Connell merely gave credit to the Raiders offensive line as to why he didn’t panic when he dropped back to throw in his first significant professional action.
Who deserves the credit for Aidan O’Connell’s start? The Raiders’ O-line, who else…
“I think it’s our offensive line. I think they did a great job,” O’Connell said in his postgame media session. “All week in practice too, they did a great job while I was in there and while the Qs were in there. They’re just working really hard. The coaches are hard on the offensive line, and they don’t get a lot of the glory sometimes. So, they’re the reason we can even run a run play or pass play; we can even start a play. The offensive line did a great job.”
While media speculation abounds about whether O’Connell can garner starts in 2023, the rookie remains grounded and honest.
“There’s still a long way to go. It’s a preseason game,” O’Connell said. So, it’s somewhat abbreviated, and it was a good first time, but there’s still a long way to go.”
A long way indeed.
The opinion pendulum will swing as fast in the opposite direction if O’Connell isn’t sharp in the Raiders second preseason clash. This time, it’ll be against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday. And who wouldn’t be surprised if that happened? After all, O’Connell, despite his advanced age, still remains a developmental signal caller behind established veterans Jimmy Garoppolo, QB1, and Brian Hoyer, penciled in as QB2.
Being the starting quarterback in Josh McDaniels’ offense is a grueling thing. Not only do you have to be able to go through progressions, make throws, take care of the football, and avoid pressure, but there’s pre-snap work to do, too. And that comes after McDaniels trusts you.
According to McDaniels, the plan was to let O’Connell get as much in-game experience as he could. We have to consider that Garoppolo and Hoyer got a significant workload in the practices before the exhibition opener against the Niners.
A game of “firsts” for Aidan O’Connell
“There were a lot of firsts today for him—his first play call, feeling pressure in the pocket, his first two-minute drive, his first halftime, all those things. So, I thought he generally handled himself well for the first opportunity. He’s going to learn a lot from some of the things that we might have been able to do a little bit better that would have helped us maybe sustain a few drives, but that’s why he was in there. So, he is just a sponge; he soaks it all in, and he’ll take every opportunity to improve.”
O’Connell is pretty much a “Yes Man” at this point as an NFL neophyte. And he’ll do whatever he’s asked.
“I’m just trying to do my job as best I can,” O’Connell said. “There’s more responsibility I have at the line of scrimmage here than I did at Purdue, so there’s really no space for complacency or not being locked in. You have to be locked in in order to succeed. So, I’m just trying to be locked in on every place.”
Sounds like a quarterback who definitely fits McDaniels’ mold, huh? General manager Dave Ziegler certainly found a fourth-round pick that fits the offense and philosophy to a T.
*Top Photo: AP Photo/Sam Morris