In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders passed up on Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker on Day 2 and ultimately waited to select Aidan O'Connell out of Purdue late in the fourth round. At the time, it seemed that the Raiders had missed out on a player who was a proven talent at the college level and would develop into a quality NFL quarterback once he recovered from a torn ACL injury.
As time has gone on, however, the Raiders have looked to have dodged a bullet, as O'Connell, while not the greatest NFL quarterback, has proven himself to be much better than Hooker.
Hendon Hooker making Raiders look wise for passing on QB
Hooker's latest preseason showing in the Detroit Lions' 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers proves that the Raiders are better off with O'Connell at quarterback. While Hooker still has the potential to bounce back from his struggles, as he hasn't gotten enough reps, his latest performance was not a good sign.
In the loss to the Chargers, Hooker threw for 18 yards and one interception on 3-of-6 passing. The Lions are expected to start Hooker in the first half of the preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons on August 8th and are hoping for a better showing from Hooker.
In his career with the Lions, Hooker has a total of 62 yards passing in three games with Detroit. His performance throughout this NFL preseason is extremely important for Hooker if he hopes to last in the league.
In 20 games played with the Las Vegas Raiders, O'Connell has thrown 3,830 yards, 20 touchdown passes, and 11 interceptions. While he's had his fair share of highs and lows the last two years, O'Connell has done an impressive job for what has been a rebuilding Raiders team the last two years.
Raiders enter the 2025 season as an underrated team
Entering this season under new head coach Pete Carroll, the Raiders will be led by new starting quarterback Geno Smith. The team also has young, talented offensive weapons, including tight end Brock Bowers, rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, and wide receivers Tre Tucker, Jakobi Meyers, and Dont'e Thornton Jr.
With a great offensive mind in Carroll, the Raiders could take a huge step forward from last season's 4-13 record and win 8 to 9 football games this year. One for is for certain, the Raiders are better off with O'Connell as their second string than the Lions are with Hooker backing up Jared Goff.