Handing out the Las Vegas Raiders 2023 season awards

Rookie of the Year: Aidan O'Connell

The Las Vegas Raiders selected nine players in the 2023 NFL Draft, a strong haul that include Tyree Wilson as their first round pick. Being selected at No. 7 overall, the expectations were high for Wilson going into the season, but he was battling back from an injury, and did not get it going until late int he season.

One player who was thrust into action early on was Aidan O'Connell, a rookie fourth-round pick from the University of Purdue. O'Connell was given a starting assignment in Week 3 against Los Angeles, and while the Raiders did not come away with the victory in that one, fans were impressed with how he played for the most part.

After being snubbed for a start against Chicago in favor of Brian Hoyer, O'Connell was forced to watch Jimmy Garoppolo start against Detroit the following week. However, after that blowout loss, the Raiders fired Josh McDaniels, and O'Connell was named the starter for the rest of the season.

Overall, it was a pretty impressive season for O'Connell, as he completed over 62 percent of his passes, and threw for 2,200-plus yards and 12 touchdowns in 10 starts. He also finished the year strong, throwing eight touchdowns against zero interceptions down the stretch, beating all three AFC West opponents in the process.