Aidan O'Connell is officially off to the NFL.
Once a walk-on buried deep on the depth chart, O'Connell eventually became the most accurate passer in the history of Purdue football. This afternoon he was selected with the final pick of the fourth round by the Las Vegas Raiders.
O'Connell is the first Purdue quarterback selected since Curtis Painter, who was a 6th round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in 2009 and the 15th drafted in program history.
The most accurate quarterback in Purdue football history was the eighth signal caller selected in this year’s draft, behind Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Will Levis, Hendon Hooker, Jake Haener and Stetson Bennett.
Josh McDaniels drafts O'Connell to join the Raiders' quarterback room. After Derek Carr's departure, Las Vegas acquired veterans Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer this off-season and Chase Garbers is listed as the third QB on the roster. O'Connell will have a path to become the third quarterback behind Garoppolo and Hoyer.
In all likelihood, he will not be asked to have a significant role this fall, but will serve as a solid backup at the NFL level.