The NFL Scouting Combine has arrived, giving prospects one last national stage before April. For Diego Pavia, though, this week is less about testing numbers and more about touch, timing, and tape confirmation. His stats at Vanderbilt, 3,539 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, just eight interceptions, plus 862 rushing yards and 10 scores, keep him firmly on the radar as a potential priority free agent with backup upside.
Pavia confirmed he’ll only throw at the Combine, saving athletic testing for Vanderbilt’s pro day on March 18. For him, this week is about proving he can spin it like an NFL quarterback, nothing more, nothing less.
Diego Pavia’s Scouting Report and Draft Projection
Here is Pavia’s scouting report from PFSN’s Mock Draft Simulator: “Diego Pavia was one of the stars of the 2025 college football season. He began his collegiate career at New Mexico Military Institute after being overlooked as a high school recruit, and leveraged a dominant second season at NMMI into an opportunity with the New Mexico State Aggies.
“With the Aggies, Pavia distinguished himself as a dynamic two-phase playmaker, and eventually ascended to the SEC as Vanderbilt’s field general.
“In 2025, Pavia was a Heisman finalist, and earned the top PFSN QB Impact score in the nation, with a grade of 94.8. Pavia’s analytics inspire hope; he’s an efficient, fairly accurate passer who avoids ill-advised risks, and he boasts a juiced-up and gritty running style. However, his on-field evaluation does leave questions.
“His processing isn’t quite NFL-caliber, nor is his arm strength, and even his athleticism might not be as prevalent against NFL talent. Pavia has the desired mobility, toughness, and quick-game utility to function as an NFL backup, but his ceiling is likely capped beyond that.”
In PFSN’s latest seven-round 2026 NFL mock draft, analyst Jacob Infante projects Pavia to go undrafted.
This season, the 24-year-old posted a 94.8 QB Impact Score, ranking first among all quarterbacks according to PFSN’s CFB QB Impact metric.
Diego Pavia’s Combine Results
Pavia did not run or jump at the NFL Combine, but he did take part in on-field workouts for the quarterbacks.
Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia throwing velocity drills pic.twitter.com/dtwlHpUzyx
— New Era Prep (@EraPrep) February 28, 2026
- 40-Yard Dash: DNP
- 10-Yard Split: DNP
- Vertical Jump: DNP
- Broad Jump: DNP
- 3-Cone Drill: DNP
- 20-Yard Shuttle: DNP
- Bench Press:
.@VandyFootball QB Diego Pavia getting some work in on the sail route.
2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/QWvb8to6Tw— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2026
Note: This section will be updated later once NFL Combine results are available. Running back workouts at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine are scheduled for this afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
