The 2026 NFL Draft class is a weak one for quarterbacks, but and yet Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia still went undrafted.
A picture of his NFL Draft watch party showed a hat for every NFL team laid out on a table, and it quickly went viral for all of the wrong reasons as the polarizing QB got roasted by the NFL world.
NFL World Mocks Diego Pavia for Viral Hat Photo
Pavia is coming off a season in which led the nation in PFSN’s CFB QB Impact metric, with a QBi score of 94.8 and a letter grade of A, which was even better than Heisman winner and Las Vegas Raiders’ No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
In 13 games, Pavia completed 70.6% of his passes for 3,539 passing yards and 29 touchdowns while only throwing 8 interceptions. As a runner, he rushed for 862 yards and 10 touchdowns on a staggering 167 attempts.
Here’s the setup for Pavia’s watch party that had people reacting online.
The setup for Diego Pavia’s draft party. We will see where the Vanderbilt QB goes. @WKRN pic.twitter.com/66iMsshgYC
— Julian Mininsohn (@JMininsohn) April 25, 2026
Social media creator Cruz Oxenreider said that Pavia isn’t an NFL talent, but rather belongs in the UFL: “Where is the Birmingham Stallions hat?”
Where is the Birmingham Stallions hat? https://t.co/aKRdbB1M2T
— Cruz Oxenreider (@TheRealCruzOx) April 25, 2026
Barstool Longhorn took it a step further and said he should play in the CFL.
“The Calgary Stampeders!” they wrote.
The Calgary Stampeders! https://t.co/CPjKSMUANt
— Barstool Longhorn (@UTBarstool) April 25, 2026
Sidelines – Bama followed that up by posting, “I don’t see a Nashville Ford dealership hat on that table.”
MORE: 2026 NFL UDFA Tracker
NFL influencer JaguarGator9 got in on the fun, posting, “Left out a hat,” with a photo of a McDonald’s cap.
Left out a hat https://t.co/Yp8nQ7n9Xg pic.twitter.com/vNsvKlMvnr
— JaguarGator9 (@JaguarGator9NFL) April 25, 2026
University of South Carolina news account Famously Garnet Sports asked, “State Farm hats out of stock?”
State Farm hats out of stock? https://t.co/UF4EMM6ou4
— Famously Garnet Sports (@FamouslyGarnet) April 25, 2026
Finally, Chicago sports columnist Tab Bamford posted, “Where are the CFL hats? Those are NFL.”
Where are the CFL hats? Those are NFL. https://t.co/GZKQVYntpo
— Tab Bamford (@The1Tab) April 25, 2026
For Pavia, going undrafted may actually end up being the better route for his NFL career, as he can now handpick his team, deciding where he has the best opportunity to develop and compete for playing time.
It remains to be seen where he will land, but he’s certainly one of the most intriguing UDFAs, and all eyes will be on the Vanderbilt QB’s deal.
Or, the haters might be right. There’s also a very real possibility that no team signs him, forcing him to pivot to the UFL or CFL. Only time will tell.
