Adam Schefter breaks down Diego Pavia’s next step after NFL Draft snub, Ravens minicamp invite

Diego Pavia didn’t hear his name called during the 2026 NFL Draft. However, his path to the league is far from over.

Instead, the former Vanderbilt Commodores star is heading to rookie minicamp with the Baltimore Ravens on a tryout basis, giving him a fresh opportunity to prove he belongs at the next level. According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, it might be a better situation than it initially appears.

“How about Diego Pavia going into the Ravens minicamp this weekend on a tryout basis? It’s kind of cool that he gets an opportunity there,” Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show. “The Ravens currently have two quarterbacks on their roster, Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, they don’t have a third. … To me, that’s a good opportunity.”

It’s not the outcome Pavia envisioned after a breakout college career, but it fits the story. Few players in the 2026 class built their résumé the way Pavia did. 

After transferring to Vanderbilt ahead of the 2024 season, he helped orchestrate one of the most surprising turnarounds in recent SEC history. Pavia threw for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns while completing over 70% of his passes, adding 862 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground.

The result? SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors, a Heisman Trophy finalist nod, and a 10-2 regular season that pushed Vanderbilt to the brink of the College Football Playoff.

But as impressive as the production was, questions about size, as Pavia stands at 5-foot-10, lingered throughout the pre-draft process. Ultimately, those concerns kept him off draft boards.

Still, the opportunity in Baltimore is real: “I always feel like it’s more important about where you go, not where you go in the draft,” Schefter added. “If he can go in there and press them and get signed to the roster, I like that opportunity for Diego Pavia.”

That sentiment was echoed by Pat McAfee, who pointed out that the challenge ahead mirrors Pavia’s entire journey: “What he did to Vandy so quickly was outrageous. … Going through the minicamp, having a tryout to earn his spot, feels like it’s pretty synonymous with his story as a whole,” McAfee said.

Additionally, Schefter noted that the Ravens may not be his only shot. He explained that multiple teams are already lining up with minicamp invitations if things don’t work out in Baltimore, meaning Pavia’s window to break into the NFL remains open.

For now though, the focus is simple. One weekend, one opportunity for Pavia. And for a quarterback who’s made a career out of proving people wrong, that might be all he needs.