WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Five Purdue Boilermakers heard their names called on the final day of the 2023 NFL Draft. Charlie Jones (4th Round – Cincinnati Bengals), Aidan O'Connell (4th Round – Las Vegas Raiders), Payne Durham (5th Round – Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Cory Trice (7th Round – Pittsburgh Steelers) and Jalen Graham (7th Round – San Francisco 49ers) made up the newest class of Pro Boilers, months after leading Purdue to its first Big Ten West title in program history.
The 2023 draft saw five Boilermakers selected, the most in a single draft since Purdue had nine players chosen in 2004. It marked the third straight year that a Purdue wide receiver was drafted, as Jones joined fellow All-American Boilermakers Rondale Moore (Arizona Cardinals – 2021) and David Bell (Cleveland Browns – 2022) as part of the streak. Meanwhile, O'Connell became the 16th Purdue quarterback drafted in history, the first since Curtis Painter was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in 2009. Durham was just the third Purdue tight end drafted over the past 15 years alongside former teammate Brycen Hopkins (Los Angeles Rams – 2020), while Trice became the first Boilermaker cornerback taken in the draft since Anthony Brown (Dallas Cowboys) in 2016.
Jones was the first Boilermaker off the board, as the Cincinnati Bengals selected the All-American wide receiver in the fourth round with the No. 131 overall pick. In his only season at Purdue, Jones led the country in catches (110) and set a single-season school record with 1,361 receiving yards. That yardage total ranked second nationally, while his 12 receiving touchdowns ranked fourth. A First Team All-B1G honoree, Jones was the only Big Ten receiver since 2000 to produce six games with at least 10 catches and 100 yards in a single season. He recorded eight 100-yard games in 2022, surpassing Bell (2021), Moore (2018), John Standeford (2002) and Steve Griffin (1984) for another school record.
In conference action, Jones hauled in 7.6 receptions per game to go along with 91.0 receiving yards per game to lead the league. He put on a show in the conference title game, hauling in 13 receptions for 162 yards against one of the nation's top defenses in No. 2 Michigan. It marked the sixth time that the Deerfield, Illinois, native eclipsed the 100-yard mark against a B1G opponent. His career high in receiving yards came in non-conference action, tallying 188 yards at Syracuse, while Jones found the end zone a career-high three times against Indiana State.
Four picks later, the Las Vegas Raiders drafted O'Connell to end the fourth round. Arriving in West Lafayette as a walk-on listed eighth on the depth chart, O'Connell concluded his Purdue career as the school's all-time leader in completion percentage (66.7%), passing efficiency (141.8) and 500-yard passing games (2). The two-time All-Big Ten quarterback etched his name in the program record book in several other categories, including fourth in career completions (826), fifth in career touchdown passes (65) and sixth in passing yards (9,219). His five 400-yard passing games and 14 300-yard passing games rank second in Purdue history, trailing only Drew Brees in both categories.
In his final season as a Boilermaker, O'Connell led the Big Ten in passing yards per game (290.8) and completions per game (26.7), while ranking second in total passing yards (3,490) and third in passing touchdowns (22). The Burlsworth Trophy finalist produced six 300-yard games for the second straight season. He threw for a season-high 424 yards at Syracuse and nearly reached the 400-yard plateau again when he completed 35-of-54 passes for 391 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Nebraska. After helping the Boilermakers capture the first Big Ten West title in program history, O'Connell threw for 366 yards in the Big Ten Championship.
Tampa Bay took Durham in the fifth round, selecting one of the best tight ends in Purdue Football history. Durham played in 45 games as a Boilermaker, making 126 catches for 1,275 yards and 21 touchdowns. His 21 receiving touchdowns rank fifth in the Purdue record book and second all-time by a tight end, trailing only Dave Young (27). He cracked the 1,000-yard mark for his career, ranking sixth all-time in receiving yards by a tight end.
Earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors during his final season in West Lafayette, Durham caught 56 passes for 560 yards and eight touchdowns to rank second on the team in all three categories. He hauled in a team-high seven passes for a season-high 109 yards to help Purdue beat Maryland, catching the go-ahead touchdown pass before rumbling 56 yards to set up another late touchdown; the performance marked the third 100-yard game of his career. Durham caught his 21st career touchdown reception in the win over Indiana, tying three of the best receivers in Purdue history (former teammate David Bell, Dorien Bryant and Taylor Stubblefield) for fifth on Purdue's all-time list.
Trice was the first Boilermaker to get drafted on the defensive side of the ball, as the Steelers selected the cornerback in the seventh round. He appeared in 34 games over his Purdue career, starting 24 of them. Trice recorded five interceptions to go along with 20 pass breakups and 105 tackles. Two of his interceptions were returned for touchdowns.
As the Boilermakers' lockdown corner all season long, Trice led the team in pass breakups (10) with a pair of interceptions. The senior picked off a pass at Maryland, but his biggest play of the season may have come against Indiana. With Purdue inching closer to victory, Trice's fourth-quarter pick-six put the game on ice to wrap up the rivalry win and divisional crown. He made a season-high eight tackles in the Old Oaken Bucket Game, ending the season as Big Ten Honorable Mention by the league's coaches and media.
With just five picks left in the draft, Graham became the fifth Boilermaker chosen. The 49ers used their final pick on the Purdue defender, looking to strike gold late in the day. The Detroit, Michigan, native was a focal point of the Boilermaker defense throughout his career, starting 35 of his 36 games wearing the Old Gold and Black. He registered 169 tackles, including 12.5 TFL and 2.0 sacks, to go along with three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions. He brought two of those turnovers to the end zone for touchdowns, a fumble recovery at Illinois (Oct. 31, 2020) and a pick-six at Nebraska (Oct. 30, 2021).
Graham led Purdue in tackles per game (5.8) in his final season in West Lafayette, playing in nine contests and starting each one of them. After missing four games due to injury, he returned to record a team-high nine tackles to help the Boilermakers beat Maryland. The senior followed up his return performance with six tackles, including two tackles-for-loss, one sack and a forced fumble in the win over Nebraska, while adding an interception against Northwestern. He tallied eight tackles, including 1.0 TFL, in the rivalry and Big Ten West-clinching win at Indiana.
2023 PURDUE FOOTBALL DRAFT PICKS
4th Round (131st Overall) – Cincinnati Bengals: Charlie Jones
4th Round (135th Overall) – Las Vegas Raiders: Aidan O'Connell
5th Round (171st Overall) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Payne Durham
7th Round (241st Overall) – Pittsburgh Steelers: Cory Trice
7th Round (255th Overall) – San Francisco 49ers: Jalen Graham
The 2023 draft saw five Boilermakers selected, the most in a single draft since Purdue had nine players chosen in 2004. It marked the third straight year that a Purdue wide receiver was drafted, as Jones joined fellow All-American Boilermakers Rondale Moore (Arizona Cardinals – 2021) and David Bell (Cleveland Browns – 2022) as part of the streak. Meanwhile, O'Connell became the 16th Purdue quarterback drafted in history, the first since Curtis Painter was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in 2009. Durham was just the third Purdue tight end drafted over the past 15 years alongside former teammate Brycen Hopkins (Los Angeles Rams – 2020), while Trice became the first Boilermaker cornerback taken in the draft since Anthony Brown (Dallas Cowboys) in 2016.
Jones was the first Boilermaker off the board, as the Cincinnati Bengals selected the All-American wide receiver in the fourth round with the No. 131 overall pick. In his only season at Purdue, Jones led the country in catches (110) and set a single-season school record with 1,361 receiving yards. That yardage total ranked second nationally, while his 12 receiving touchdowns ranked fourth. A First Team All-B1G honoree, Jones was the only Big Ten receiver since 2000 to produce six games with at least 10 catches and 100 yards in a single season. He recorded eight 100-yard games in 2022, surpassing Bell (2021), Moore (2018), John Standeford (2002) and Steve Griffin (1984) for another school record.
In conference action, Jones hauled in 7.6 receptions per game to go along with 91.0 receiving yards per game to lead the league. He put on a show in the conference title game, hauling in 13 receptions for 162 yards against one of the nation's top defenses in No. 2 Michigan. It marked the sixth time that the Deerfield, Illinois, native eclipsed the 100-yard mark against a B1G opponent. His career high in receiving yards came in non-conference action, tallying 188 yards at Syracuse, while Jones found the end zone a career-high three times against Indiana State.
Four picks later, the Las Vegas Raiders drafted O'Connell to end the fourth round. Arriving in West Lafayette as a walk-on listed eighth on the depth chart, O'Connell concluded his Purdue career as the school's all-time leader in completion percentage (66.7%), passing efficiency (141.8) and 500-yard passing games (2). The two-time All-Big Ten quarterback etched his name in the program record book in several other categories, including fourth in career completions (826), fifth in career touchdown passes (65) and sixth in passing yards (9,219). His five 400-yard passing games and 14 300-yard passing games rank second in Purdue history, trailing only Drew Brees in both categories.
In his final season as a Boilermaker, O'Connell led the Big Ten in passing yards per game (290.8) and completions per game (26.7), while ranking second in total passing yards (3,490) and third in passing touchdowns (22). The Burlsworth Trophy finalist produced six 300-yard games for the second straight season. He threw for a season-high 424 yards at Syracuse and nearly reached the 400-yard plateau again when he completed 35-of-54 passes for 391 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Nebraska. After helping the Boilermakers capture the first Big Ten West title in program history, O'Connell threw for 366 yards in the Big Ten Championship.
Tampa Bay took Durham in the fifth round, selecting one of the best tight ends in Purdue Football history. Durham played in 45 games as a Boilermaker, making 126 catches for 1,275 yards and 21 touchdowns. His 21 receiving touchdowns rank fifth in the Purdue record book and second all-time by a tight end, trailing only Dave Young (27). He cracked the 1,000-yard mark for his career, ranking sixth all-time in receiving yards by a tight end.
Earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors during his final season in West Lafayette, Durham caught 56 passes for 560 yards and eight touchdowns to rank second on the team in all three categories. He hauled in a team-high seven passes for a season-high 109 yards to help Purdue beat Maryland, catching the go-ahead touchdown pass before rumbling 56 yards to set up another late touchdown; the performance marked the third 100-yard game of his career. Durham caught his 21st career touchdown reception in the win over Indiana, tying three of the best receivers in Purdue history (former teammate David Bell, Dorien Bryant and Taylor Stubblefield) for fifth on Purdue's all-time list.
Trice was the first Boilermaker to get drafted on the defensive side of the ball, as the Steelers selected the cornerback in the seventh round. He appeared in 34 games over his Purdue career, starting 24 of them. Trice recorded five interceptions to go along with 20 pass breakups and 105 tackles. Two of his interceptions were returned for touchdowns.
As the Boilermakers' lockdown corner all season long, Trice led the team in pass breakups (10) with a pair of interceptions. The senior picked off a pass at Maryland, but his biggest play of the season may have come against Indiana. With Purdue inching closer to victory, Trice's fourth-quarter pick-six put the game on ice to wrap up the rivalry win and divisional crown. He made a season-high eight tackles in the Old Oaken Bucket Game, ending the season as Big Ten Honorable Mention by the league's coaches and media.
With just five picks left in the draft, Graham became the fifth Boilermaker chosen. The 49ers used their final pick on the Purdue defender, looking to strike gold late in the day. The Detroit, Michigan, native was a focal point of the Boilermaker defense throughout his career, starting 35 of his 36 games wearing the Old Gold and Black. He registered 169 tackles, including 12.5 TFL and 2.0 sacks, to go along with three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions. He brought two of those turnovers to the end zone for touchdowns, a fumble recovery at Illinois (Oct. 31, 2020) and a pick-six at Nebraska (Oct. 30, 2021).
Graham led Purdue in tackles per game (5.8) in his final season in West Lafayette, playing in nine contests and starting each one of them. After missing four games due to injury, he returned to record a team-high nine tackles to help the Boilermakers beat Maryland. The senior followed up his return performance with six tackles, including two tackles-for-loss, one sack and a forced fumble in the win over Nebraska, while adding an interception against Northwestern. He tallied eight tackles, including 1.0 TFL, in the rivalry and Big Ten West-clinching win at Indiana.
2023 PURDUE FOOTBALL DRAFT PICKS
4th Round (131st Overall) – Cincinnati Bengals: Charlie Jones
4th Round (135th Overall) – Las Vegas Raiders: Aidan O'Connell
5th Round (171st Overall) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Payne Durham
7th Round (241st Overall) – Pittsburgh Steelers: Cory Trice
7th Round (255th Overall) – San Francisco 49ers: Jalen Graham