The Las Vegas Raiders, true to their location, decided to gamble a bit at the 2023 NFL Draft and waited until the end of the fourth round to add some depth at quarterback behind top offseason acquisition Jimmy Garoppolo.
They traded a fifth (No. 144) and sixth round pick (214) to the New England Patriots for the No. 135 overall selection, which they used on Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Everyone knew Vegas was going to take another signal-caller at some point, but speculation ran rampant over when that could be.
The #Raiders traded up for Purdue QB Aidan O’Connell, whose football IQ and quick release make him a prototypical QB for Josh McDaniels.
Las Vegas gave up 144 and 214 to get AOC with the last pick in Round 4 at 135. pic.twitter.com/NtWQlhGyNC
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 29, 2023
The organization snagged lengthy defensive end Tyree Wilson at No. 7 and then watched the Tennessee Titans leap past them early in the second round to get falling Kentucky QB Will Levis before they could make a decision a few picks later. Ultimately, Garoppolo has a new target in tight end Michael Mayer, and a backup in O'Connell should the oft-injured veteran miss time.
O'Connell fits the mold of a Josh McDaniels quarterback with his 6-foot-3 frame and solid accuracy on short and intermediate throws. He was part of a rejuvenation in Purdue, leading the program to consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 2006-08. His best season with the Boilermakers came in 2021-22 when he completed 71.6 percent of his pass attempts for 3,712 yards and 28 touchdowns.
His numbers regressed last season, but the Raiders obviously coveted him enough to move up the NFL Draft board. The 37-year-old Brian Hoyer signed with the team a few weeks ago and could be a good mentor for O'Connell. Garoppolo is just 31 and is locked up for three years, so there is no rush to find an immediate successor.
An experienced college quarterback who can quickly adapt to head coach McDaniels' system will do just fine for now.
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