Raiders 4th Rd. Pick QB Aidan O'Connell, Purdue

Las Vegas Raiders fourth-round pick (No. 135 overall) – Quarterback Aidan O’Connell

Q: First off, what were your interactions with the coaching staff before you got drafted here and what do you think you can bring to this team?

O'Connell: "I had a couple good meetings with them. Had a formal interview at the combine with them and then had a meeting before my pro day with them as well. So, a few meetings that I thought went well. I'm just going to try to come in and work as hard as possible, love my teammates and support them, and just be the best player I can be for our organization."

Q: In those meetings with the Raiders, what did you pick up on with Josh McDaniels system that stuck out to you?

O'Connell: "Obviously, he's had success with guys who aren't the dual threat or the big run-option quarterbacks. And so, obviously he's a great offensive mind and I'm just excited to get there and get the playbook and start learning. I just love to learn about football. I love to talk about football. So, excited to pick his brain, as well as the other coaches."

Q: In your 2021 college season, you had some pretty good numbers with your completion percentage over 70 percent, 3,700 yards, 28 touchdowns. Did you have any consideration about maybe coming out after that season? What were you hoping to accomplish by going back to Purdue last season and do you feel like you accomplished what you what you set out to?

O'Connell: "2021 was obviously a great year for us, offensively. I think we had a lot of weapons, so I knew I played well enough that I could have consideration from the NFL. But really, before that season, the NFL was kind of a long shot for me, and so it's hard to end the season and try to make that decision. Because during the season I'm trying to focus on, 'We got to play Ohio State the next week,' or whatever it might be. And so, you try to take it one week at a time. There was consideration, but I think for the most part I wanted to go back knowing I had my extra COVID year. And I think coming back, a big part of it was we wanted to win games and we wanted to get to the Big Ten Championship. So, the goal was always to get to the Big Ten Championship, to win the West (Division) in the Big Ten, and we were able to do that. And so that was a great team goal that we accomplished and some great memories I'll have for a long time."

Q: You walked on at Purdue, and you were at the back of a pretty long line of quarterbacks on the depth chart. What gave you the confidence that you were eventually going to become what you became at Purdue?

O'Connell: "I think it's the people around me. I was pretty low on the depth chart, but my family and my friends always made me feel like I was the best quarterback in the world even when I wasn't. And so, I think it was just the support I had around me. I have a passion for the game that even when circumstances around me may seem bleak, I think because I love the game and I have support from others, I'm able to kind of pursue those circumstances. And I joke, and I think it's probably a little serious too, I think I was just a little bit too dumb. If I looked around and really assessed the situation, I probably would have transferred or stopped playing football or something like that. But like I said, I had great resources, great strength staff, nutrition, training room, coaches, facility. I knew with all those things I could give myself a shot to play, so I just tried to stick it out as long as possible."

Q: One of the things in the scouting report about you is off the field as a leader. Where did those leadership skills come from? Did you have to develop them? Did it come from your family?

O'Connell: "I think it's a combination of things. I think naturally some are born with more leadership qualities than others. And so, I felt like from a young age I had been a leader. Normally when you play quarterback, which I have since I was in third grade, you are the leader of the team. And so, for the most part you try to just do the best you can with being authentic to yourself. I just try to work as hard as possible and show my teammates that I care so at the end of the day, success or failure, they'll know that I have a passion for the game and that I love them and I'm going to work as hard as I possibly can for them and for the team. A big part of why I love football is the locker room and being with the guys, and so the leadership stuff I think comes naturally because of that love for the guys around me."

Q: What do you know about this organization, the history of it, the quarterbacks that have come through here? And number two, same thing regarding Las Vegas as a city in general?

O'Connell: "I think, 'Just win, baby.' I've obviously heard stuff growing up and know there's a lot of history to it. A lot of great players that have played and had success throughout years prior. And so, yeah, obviously Las Vegas is a storied city in our country as well. So, I think it's a really cool opportunity for me, for my family and we're just really excited."

Q: Did you take a top-30 visit out here to Las Vegas?

O'Connell: "Actually, I did not take a top-30 visit. Like I said, I had a formal combine interview with them and then a pretty extensive interview before my pro day with the Raiders as well.”

Q: A lot of people are referencing your quick release to Tom Brady. Obviously, no one's putting that pressure on you now, but would you just talk about that part of your skill set please?

O'Connell: "I think it's just something I try to do. I know it's one of my strengths and something I try to do as best I can. It's kind of what got me a chance to play at Purdue. And so, I've tried to work on that as much as possible and work hard to make sure my strengths are honed in and I'm doing what I need to do."

Q: What did you take away from your combine meeting with Josh McDaniels? And also, what kind of expectations do you put upon yourself for this season?

O'Connell: "I think the interview went really well. They are easy guys to talk to you. They obviously love football and are very intelligent. In those situations, I definitely come with a growth mindset, with a learner's attitude that I want to just soak in as much information as possible. And expectations are really just to come in and work as hard as possible to be the best teammate that I can be, to try to be the best player I can be, and just to squeeze every bit of talent and whatever I have inside of me to try to help the organization, to help my teammates so we can win some games."

Round 1 No. 7 overall pick: Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech

Round 2 No. 35 overall pick: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

Round 3 No. 70 overall: Byron Young, DT, Alabama

Round 3 No. 100 overall: Tre Tucker, WR, Cincinnati

Round 4 No. 104 overall: Jakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland

Round 4 No. 135 overall: Aidan O'Connell, QB, Purdue

Round 5 No. 170 overall: Christopher Smith II, S, Georgia

Round 6 No. 203 overall: Amari Burney, LB, Florida

Round 7 No. 231 overall: Nesta Jade Silvera, DT, Arizona State

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