The Baltimore Ravens had a critical draft ahead of them after a disastrous 2025 season. Outright missing the playoffs and with Lamar Jackson arguably having his worst year, the team went through major changes in the offseason.
Now, after the conclusion of the draft, the team was looking for a third-string quarterback as a safety net. All signs pointed to Diego Pavia being that guy, as they invited him to their rookie minicamp, but at the last moment, it seems like the organization is going in a different direction with Joe Fagnano.
Diego Pavia Gets Snubbed for Joe Fagnano by the Ravens
From the Ravens’ official website, they confirmed, “After going undrafted, Heisman Trophy finalist Diego Pavia reportedly accepted an invitation to Ravens rookie minicamp and has a chance to stick as a No. 3 quarterback.”
However, with the team instead going with Fagnano, who they signed to a three-year deal, as confirmed by multiple sources, it leaves virtually no room on the roster for Pavia. The Heisman Trophy runner-up, he threw for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns for Vanderbilt in 2025. According to PFSN’s CFB QB Impact Metric, he posted an impact score of 94.8, ranking first in the nation.
He was also a force to be reckoned with on the ground, tallying 862 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in his final year. However, the Ravens chose the UConn product, who spent seven seasons at the collegiate level.
In his final season with the Huskies, Fagnano put up 3,448 passing yards and 28 touchdowns while throwing just 1 interception all season long. While not as athletic as Pavia, he was a decent threat on the ground, adding 131 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.
Immediately after his signing, though, the majority of the football landscape questioned the Commodores’ product. PFSN’s Alex Kennedy immediately claimed, “Bad news for Diego Pavia.”
However, his colleague Matt Infante had a different opinion. “Fagnano > Pavia. I hope Pavia still has that CFL opportunity.”
Diego Pavia seeing this pic.twitter.com/GitCsrpDGl
— DraftKings Network (@DKNetwork) April 28, 2026
The majority lay on Infante’s side, including writer Mitch Wolfe. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, as a Ravens/UConn hater, but this is a great signing,” he wrote. “Additionally, as a hater of dumb narratives, go watch Diego Pavia, then go watch Joe Fagnano, and then tell me which one is more likely to make it as an NFL quarterback.”
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Joe Shea, though, went the hilarious route, quipping, “A UConn QB gets signed before Diego Pavia. Makes sense, just weird.” For some, though, the immediate question was around the Vanderbilt star. “What does this mean for Pavia?”
It remains to be seen if another team takes a flyer on the dynamic college quarterback. But after going undrafted and Baltimore going in a different direction, it seems like the NFL has reached a consensus on how they see the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner.
