Getty Las Vegas Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell.
The Las Vegas Raiders could have a big decision to make at quarterback. When Brian Hoyer was signed in free agency, it seemed like he was the obvious choice to be Jimmy Garoppolo’s backup this season. However, rookie fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell put on an impressive showing in his preseason debut against the San Francisco 49ers.
O’Connell completed 15-of-18 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown. While Hoyer didn’t have a chance to play, some are starting to question if O’Connell might be passing him on the depth chart. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report when threw and projected who will win some of the Raiders’ key position battles. He believes that Hoyer will remain as the backup on paper, O’Connell would actually be the backup to Garoppolo if he got hurt.
“On paper, Hoyer may still emerge as QB2 because of his experience and ability to step into the offense if needed in-game,” Knox wrote in an August 14 column. “However, O’Connell showed a lot during the preseason opener, and the prediction here is that if Garoppolo misses time, O’Connell will get the start over Hoyer, given time to prepare.
“O’Connell looked more than comfortable in McDaniels’ system, leading the Raiders to 27 points and finishing 5-of-18 for 141 yards and a touchdown. Hoyer will be the backup on gamedays, but O’Connell will be the true QB2 in Las Vegas.”
Hoyer hasn’t won a start since 2016 and is going to turn 38 during the season. O’Connell would provide more upside if the Raiders needed to use another quarterback but there could be growing pains along the way. Whether or not the team would start O’Connell over Hoyer could depend on when a potential Garoppolo happened during the season and what the status of the team is at that point.
Aidan O’Connell Rated as Top Rookie QB by PFF
It’s just one preseason game but Aidan O’Connell’s stock is quickly on the rise. According to Pro Football Focus, he outplayed every other rookie quarterback who played in the first week of preseason action.
“O’Connell’s Raiders debut was reminiscent of his 2021 season at Purdue, when he earned an elite passing grade,” Sikkema wrote in an August 15 column. “The fourth-round pick in last April’s draft finished his first game in the pros 15-of-18 passing (with two drops, 94.4% adjusted completion percentage) with 141 passing yards and two big-time throws. The performance earned him a 90.8 passing grade on the day, by far the highest mark for any rookie quarterback. We’re hoping to see him against some first-team defenses at some point before the regular season begins.”
O’Connell spent six years in college and is turning 25 in September so he should be further ahead than some of the rookie quarterbacks. That said, he showed some interesting potential in his first NFL action.
.@Raiders @aidanoc Aidan O’Connell was the last pick of the 4th round and was the best rookie QB in the preseason. Wanna see more…please! #BaldysBreakdowns
Aidan O’Connell Credits Veteran QBs
Brian Hoyer and Jimmy Garoppolo have experience working with young quarterbacks. Hoyer just recently helped bring Mac Jones along with the New England Patriots and Garoppolo helped Trey Lance and Brock Purdy. According to Aidan O’Connell, the veteran quarterbacks have been very gracious with him.
“Yeah, when you play sometimes during practice, you might not get a rep of a specific play that you’re going to run in the game,” O’Connell said in his August 15 postgame press conference. “So, you have to learn through watching somebody else. So, I try on every rep to act like I’m in there to go through it like I’m in there, even if I’m not in practice. And like I said, those guys do a good job. They don’t have to but they do, they talk to me, and they don’t give me the cold shoulder and just let me figure it out for [myself]. They slow it down for me when they need to and help me a lot. So, I appreciate them a lot.”