Diego Pavia's ego certainly took a hit this past weekend when he wasn't selected during the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. However, the controversially outspoken college star will get at least one chance to make it to the big show.
Pavia, who became the first Heisman Trophy nominee to go undrafted since 2014, has received a rookie minicamp invite from the Baltimore Ravens. While he has little chance of unseating starting quarterback and two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, Pavia could potentially compete for the backup role with Tyler Huntley or serve as a developmental third-string quarterback.
According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, Pavia had visited the Carolina Panthers during the pre-draft process, while other teams had been doing their own research on him. The previous Heisman finalist to go undrafted was Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch in 2014, who also received a camp invite after the draft but was cut during preseason by the Chicago Bears and never played in the NFL.
Why is Pavia considered controversial?
While Pavia is a talented player, he is known for being outspoken. During the NFL combine last month, he told reporters, "One thing about me is I don't care what people think about me." After coming up short in Heisman Trophy voting to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who was the first overall pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday, Pavia posted the message "F all the voters" on social media. He later apologized for the post, writing that he "didn't handle those emotions well at all. It was a mistake, and I am sorry."
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that one scouting director said Pavia's "schtick gets old." The scouting director added, "Little bit of Johnny Football (Manziel) — it's more lore and college bulls*** than it is really true mystique or allure or whatever. I just don't think he's overly talented. He'll bounce around on a couple teams, just because he's competitive. I think he's smart and he'll learn it and all that stuff. But you've got a runaround, RPO, college quarterback with an average arm."
During the draft, there were reports that Pavia made the bold move to eschew hiring an agent and would represent himself. However, those reports were taken out of context and referred to Pavia preferring to negotiate his own NIL deals during college. He is currently represented by Malki Kawa of First Round MGMT.
Is Diego Pavia good?
The 5-foot-10 quarterback is known for his dual-threat ability and had a successful NCAA career with New Mexico State and then Vanderbilt. During the 2025 season, Pavia threw for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns while leading Vanderbilt to the program's first-ever 10-win season. He also ran the ball 167 times for 862 rushing yards and scored 10 touchdowns.
