Purdue QB Aidan O'Connell visited Bears, Colts in recent weeks
Will Aidan O’Connell be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft? At least two teams have taken a longer look at the Purdue quarterback, who told GoldandBlack.com on Sunday that he “visited Chicago and Indy within the last couple weeks.”
O’Connell is projected by most NFL draft pundits to be picked on Saturday during Rounds 4-7. At the least, he’ll be signed as a free-agent.
While O’Connell lacks speed and elusiveness, he is among the most accomplished passers in the draft, showing an ability to make any throw at the NFL Combine and during a successful run as the Boilermaker signal-caller that should land him in the school’s famed “Cradle of Quarterbacks.” O’Connell capped his career by leading Purdue to the Big Ten West title in 2022.
NFL teams also got a good look at O’Connell during Purdue’s Pro Day on March 9, when scouts for every team were on hand to watch O’Connell throw in the Mollenkopf Athletic Center. The NFL Draft is April 27-29 in Kansas City, when fellow Purdue players WR Charlie Jones, TE Payne Durham, LB Jalen Graham and CB Cory Trice also hope to be selected.
MORE: Purdue Pro Day Notebook | Purdue players at NFL Combine | NFL scout dishes on Purdue prospects
If O’Connell makes a roster, he would join fellow Boilermaker signal-caller David Blough in the NFL. Blough recently signed with the Cardinals and has played the last four seasons in the NFL with the Lions, Vikings and Cardinals after originally signing with the Browns. Blough and O’Connell were Boilermaker teammates in 2017-18.
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O’Connell enjoyed a storybook six-year career in West Lafayette. He joined Purdue in 2017 as a walk-on from Stevenson High in Lincolnshire, Ill., after his lone offer was from D3 Wheaton College.
O’Connell did not play in 2017 and 2018 but miraculously found himself starting in 2019 after injuries befell the top three signal-callers. For the rest of his career, O’Connell was the primary quarterback for Purdue, making 27 starts from 2019-22 and finishing his career with 9,129 passing yards and 67 touchdowns.
The 6-3, 210-pound O’Connell led the Big Ten with 290.8 yards passing per game in 2022. He completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,490 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. O’Connell was a second-team All-Big Ten choice by the coaches and third team by the media.
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