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Diego Pavia signs with NFL team
Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Diego Pavia signs contract with Ravens but faces uphill battle in making final roster

The Baltimore Ravens have signed former Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia ahead of minicamp this weekend, but that doesn't mean he's guaranteed to make the final roster. 

The Ravens signed Pavia to a three-year deal on Tuesday. They gave fellow undrafted free-agent QB Joe Fagnano (a former Connecticut Huskies star) the same. This signals both passers are on the same footing as they begin battling for the QB3 spot behind Tyler Huntley and Lamar Jackson.

How do Diego Pavia and Joe Fagnano stack up in the Ravens' QB3 battle? 

Pavia is the more accomplished college player. Over his past two seasons with Vanderbilt, he threw for the sixth-most passing yards in school history (5,832) and the third-most touchdown passes (49). 

This past season, he was named a Heisman finalist and led the Commodores to a 10-3 record, marking the team's first 10-win season in school history.

Fagnano, though, is no slouch. He piloted the Huskies to a 9-4 record, ranking 12th in the country in completion percentage (69 percent), 19th in passing yards (3,448) and tying for 12th in TD passes (28).

More importantly, he looks and plays more like an NFL QB. Fagnano measured 6-foot-3, 226 pounds at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, while Pavia was listed at 5-foot-10, 207 pounds.

"Fagnano is a fundamentally sound passer with fluid release velocity, although he will need to prove he can fit the ball into tighter windows at the next level," wrote The Athletic's Dane Brugler in his scouting report. "He offers reserve potential for an NFL depth chart."

The Ravens and other teams won't finalize their 53-man rosters until Aug. 25 at 4 p.m. ET. In the meantime, Pavia better make the most of his opportunities throughout the offseason program to prove he's deserving of a spot on the active roster or practice squad. Even after signing the contract, he remains far from a lock to make the team. 

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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