Dallas Cowboys host Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell for private workout ahead of 2023 NFL Draft

The Dallas Cowboys are continuing their due diligence ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. This week, they’re hosting Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell for a private workout. O’Connell was in Frisco, Texas on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport.

The Cowboys front office has made it clear that there’s interest in drafting a quarterback after avoiding doing so in the last two drafts.

O’Connell became a seasoned veteran at Purdue by his final season. He posted a career-high 3,712 passing yards in 2021 and followed it up with 3,490 in 2022. He also had 41 touchdowns over four seasons.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Illinois native also has private visits and workouts set up with the Jets, Raiders, Saints, Bengals, Colts and Bears. He’s also Zoomed with 10 others, per the NFL insider.

The former Purdue star is ESPN’s No. 10 best-available quarterback in the 2023 draft class. Only nine quarterbacks came off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft but that was the fewest in the last five years.

With Dak Prescott presumably remaining in Dallas for the next four to ten years, if Jerry Jones has his way, the Cowboys aren’t one of the quarterback-needy teams in the draft this year. They also re-signed Cooper Rush for another season. However, Jones recently expressed a desire to draft and develop a draftee every year.

Along with O’Connell, the Cowboys have also shown interest in Houston quarterback Clayton Tune, Tennessee‘s Hendon Hooker and TCU’s Max Duggan, among others.

The Dallas Cowboys’ list of visitors suggests preferences for a wide receiver, offensive lineman, defensive lineman, cornerback and linebacker. They’ve also worked out several more wide receivers in private workouts.

After grabbing two veterans in trades and locking in key defenders from their group of free agents, the Cowboys have some freedom of movement in the draft. That could work to their advantage when they pick up the phone during the draft to make some deals.

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft takes place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event location this year is the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft broadcast runs throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.