The Las Vegas Raiders could be in the market for a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. The team already added one with the Gardner Minshew signing but is likely to add at least one more player to the position group.
Aidan O’Connell started 10 games for the Raiders last season but the team hasn’t indicated that they plan for him to be the long-term starter. For his part, O’Connell isn’t offended by the team adding quarterbacks. He welcomes the competition.
“I have had to compete my whole life, and I wouldn’t want it any other way,” O’Connell told The Athletic’s Vic Tafur in an April 11 interview. “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.”
O’Connell has a leg up over a potential rookie and Minshew considering he was with the team last season. Head coach Antonio Pierce is a fan of the quarterback and was the reason the team didn’t make a change during the season when O’Connell was struggling. He’ll likely still be in the mix to start next season but he’ll be facing an uphill battle if the Raiders select a quarterback in the first round.
Top performing #Raiders rookies according to @PFF – with their ranking among their position group in the 2023 draft class:
Aidan O’Connell (2nd out of 13)
Tre Tucker (13th out of 43)
Michael Mayer (5th out of 9)pic.twitter.com/ATZQ2pOkcw— Levi Edwards (@theleviedwards) January 10, 2024
Aidan O’Connell Working on Mobility
Aidan O’Connell has a good arm, which he showed on a number of deep passes throughout the season. His accuracy was a bit erratic but that should be improved as he gets more experience. The biggest problem facing O’Connell is his lack of mobility.
He’s slow and not particularly elusive in the pocket, which led to several easy sacks last season. O’Connell knows that he’s not going to get substantially faster but that’s not stopping him from working on his mobility.
“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.”
Even Patrick Mahomes isn’t particularly fast but he consistently makes defenders miss with how elusive he is. If O’Connell can figure out how to dodge pass rushers more consistently, his chances of being a starting quarterback will be much higher.
Top performing #Raiders rookies according to @PFF – with their ranking among their position group in the 2023 draft class:
Aidan O’Connell (2nd out of 13)
Tre Tucker (13th out of 43)
Michael Mayer (5th out of 9)
Aidan O’Connell’s Coach Discusses Progress
There’s no guarantee the Raiders will be able to get a quarterback they like in the draft this year. Even if they do, they’ll still need to earn the starting spot. Aidan O’Connell still has a chance to be the starter next season and isn’t taking his foot off the gas, according to his personal quarterback coach Jeff Christensen.
“He always worked hard to have great mechanics and his accuracy is elite,” Christensen told Vic Tafur. “The one I don’t think people talked enough about last season was that he threw a really nice deep ball. I know the Raiders love that. … There is a lot to be excited about with Aidan, and he is really looking forward to competing for the starting job again.”
