NFL exec compares Raiders' draft pick to the best NFL player of all-time
The Las Vegas Raiders made a draft pick that some NFL executives love so much that they are compared to one of the greatest players of all time. The Raiders killed their draft, if you ask me. The more I look at the class, the more I like it. They addressed every need without going […]
The Las Vegas Raiders made a draft pick that some NFL executives love so much that they are compared to one of the greatest players of all time.
The Raiders killed their draft, if you ask me. The more I look at the class, the more I like it. They addressed every need without going overboard on the quarterback position in the first round, including grabbing a great cornerback on day three, with blazing speed.
But, one of the bigger surprises of the draft was the Raiders taking Aidan O'Connell, the quarterback out of Purdue. He was a guy projected to be a third-round pick, and the Raiders got him in the fourth round.
After they moved on from Derek Carr, it was obvious a new quarterback and a new era were going to get underway in Las Vegas. For right now, it's Jimmy Garoppolo. But, they drafted a quarterback for a reason, and some NFL executives think there are traits that would say O'Connell can lead the next era of Raiders football.
"Aidan O’Connell is like a statue, cannot move, but he makes fast decisions, so it’s interesting that Josh McDaniels took him, when (Tom) Brady was that way," an NFL exec said after the draft. -Mike Sando, The Athletic
Now, O'Connell is definitely a project, so let's not sit here and think he will be the guy over Garoppolo. Now, he will start some games if Garoppolo gets injured, which will likely happen, but he won't win the quarterback battle yet.
He still needs to work on some things. Most notably, he needs to work on his decision-making and his eyes. There have been plays he made last year that ended in an interception because he stared down the receiver on a corner route. Most noticeably, it happened against Illinois, where he threw an interception by making that huge mistake.
But, he does have some positives to his game too. O'Connell can stand in the pocket, take hits, and make throws. That is his game to a T, as they say. He is the most accurate quarterback to ever play at Purdue, which says a lot considering Drew Brees attended the school as their quarterback.
Against the Michigan Wolverines, he showed that accuracy a bit. Now, they didn't win the Big 10 Championship, but they had a chance on the offensive side of the ball because of these types of throws. O'Connell put it only where his man could get it, and used the intermediate part of the field quite a bit.
That throw is one that you see on tape and say, "I know this guy can throw at the next level." There are a ton of things he still needs to work on, but, he isn't a lost cause. The Raiders drafted him for a reason.
Comparing him to Tom Brady may be a bit much, but, they do have a lot of the same qualities. And, to be fair, that is the type of players McDaniels has had a successful offense with. That is also another reason why I think Garoppolo will be fairly successful this year.
