Aidan O’Connell entered training camp an unknown to most NFL fans, but he’s changed all that by putting up some huge numbers this preseason.
The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback put up another big number this week: 92.5. That’s his grade from Pro Football Focus, the analytics operation that breaks down every play in every game.
As PFF noted in a tweet Wednesday, that makes O’Connell the highest-graded NFL rookie this preseason.
The highest-graded rookie this preseason:
☠️ Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell – 92.5 ☠️ pic.twitter.com/0dhKzK4ek5
— PFF (@PFF) August 23, 2023
In more conventional football numbers, the former Purdue Boilermakers star has looked great, completing 26-of-36 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions in two games. And he’s been throwing the ball downfield like Raiders quarterbacks from the 1960s and ’70s, picking up big chunks of yardage.
Raiders 4th Round Pick Aidan O'Connell in preseason:
125.23 QB Rating
26/36 Passing (72.2%)
304 yards (8.4 YPA)
3 TDs
0 INTsVery impressive start from the rookie.#NFL | #NFLTwitter | #Raiders | #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/PKGdA6kiEJ
— Fanzine NFL (@NFLFanzine) August 23, 2023
That’s great production from a quarterback who fell to the fourth round of the draft. Of course, preseason games are often an unreliable barometer for a player’s performance when the games are for real.
But for PFF, the experts in grading football players, to rate him the best rookie of the preseason sends O’Connell’s stock to a new level. The NFL world had some thoughts after seeing the surprising PFF rating.
Aidan O’Connell to the moon 🚀 https://t.co/ShMaBihg8E
— Brett Ehret (@BrettEhret) August 23, 2023
https://twitter.com/goonionx/status/1694440183117025343
Aidan O'Connell > Jimmy G
— Chill Rich Dude (@jakep316) August 23, 2023
He looks like Shane Botwin combined with Justin Bieber.
— On the Lamb (@run_zeke) August 23, 2023
Who
— Mthang5150 (@mthang5150) August 23, 2023
QB1
— DOC (65-61) (@doconnell2000) August 23, 2023
[PFF]
