It's no secret that the Las Vegas Raiders are very interested in snagging a quarterback from the upcoming draft. They really like a few guys, such as Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix, but what happens ahead of them in the draft determines what they do with their pick. If Penix goes to the Denver Broncos at 12, we could see the Raiders take a cornerback or offensive tackle with their first pick.
That doesn't mean the Raiders still won't draft a QB. I can almost guarantee they draft one; now, what round they do it in is a completely different story. They signed Gardner Minshew this offseason, so they have a potential bridge guy if they don't get the quarterback they want.
Oh, and they have Aidan O'Connell, who isn't phased by the talk of drafting a new quarterback. In fact, he wants to compete for the starting job, which he won over last season halfway through the year.
"I have had to compete my whole life, and I wouldn't want it any other way," O'Connell said. "The NFL is the best of the best, and you have to earn everything every year. That's the way it should be. It's my job to keep my job. It doesn't really matter who they bring in."
And speaking of his job, O'Connell was not terrible last year. Based on how the quarterback conversations are going with this franchise, you would think they had the worst quarterback in the league. O'Connell has had some really good moments. Now, does he need to get better? Of course. He knows that, too.
"My job is to get the ball to our talented playmakers, and that can mean sliding over and buying yourself a couple of seconds," O'Connell said. "The NFL game is extremely fast, and I have to be quick with my decision-making and getting the ball out. And while I am not going to win any foot races, I have to be able to get a couple of yards for a first down if the opportunity presents itself. You do whatever you have to to make a play and win a game, and that's how we approach training."
O'Connell is welcoming competition. If anything, this should make fans feel more confident about him. He didn't get a full training camp last year with the ones or even the twos. Instead, he was throwing around to practice squad players. Now, he will have the starting job heading into camp, and everyone else has to take it from him.
It sounds like he is ready.
More must-reads: