
Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia will get a chance to make an NFL roster after going undrafted. It may be his only one.
On Sunday, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported Pavia has accepted an invitation to the Baltimore Ravens' minicamp next weekend. No other invitations have been reported.
Whenever Pavia arrives at the Ravens minicamp, he will still face an uphill battle in making the team's 53-man roster. The Vanderbilt QB lacks many of the tools teams covet in QBs, which is one reason he became the first Heisman finalist to go undrafted since former Northern Illinois Huskies quarterback Jordan Lynch in 2014.
Pavia measured 5-foot-10, 207 pounds at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, well below the prototypical size for NFL QBs. Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford, 2025 league MVP, is listed at 6-foot-3, 214 pounds.
Vanderbilt undrafted free agent QB Diego Pavia accepted an invitation to next weekend’s minicamp with the Baltimore Ravens, per source. pic.twitter.com/5nBIH1rHc7
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 26, 2026
Pavia lacks the arm strength needed to offset concerns about his size. Per Pro Football Focus, 41.2 percent of his 378 pass attempts in 2025 were from zero to nine air yards (yards the ball travels in the air). On attempts of 20-plus air yards, he went 19-of-49 (38.8 percent, below average).
Teams don't want a QB who doesn't check the boxes. They also don't want one who could be deemed immature. Pavia wrote "F ALL THE VOTERS" on his Instagram story after finishing second in Heisman voting behind Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza, whom the Las Vegas Raiders selected with pick No. 1 in the draft. Pavia later apologized on X.
Being a part of the Heisman ceremony last night as a finalist was such an honor. As a competitor, just like in everything I do I wanted to win. To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful. I didn’t handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the…
— Diego Pavia (@diegopavia02) December 15, 2025
Pavia's chances of making Baltimore's roster are slim at best. The Ravens feature two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson at QB, who's in no danger of losing his job anytime soon. Tyler Huntley is Jackson's backup. He proved dependable last season when he went 2-0 as a starter while filling in for Jackson.
Pavia's best-case scenario is making the team as a QB3. If he doesn't, it's fair to wonder if another NFL team will give him a chance.
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