After shockingly going undrafted this past weekend, former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was supposed to participate in the rookie minicamp with the Baltimore Ravens.
If all went well, he would sign as a priority free agent and join the team’s 90-man offseason roster. Instead, the Ravens signed Pavia to a contract before he even had the chance to hop on a plane.
Ravens, Diego Pavia Ink Three-Year Deal
The deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, is for three years. It’ll give Pavia the opportunity to join a quarterback room that’s headlined by two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and absorb as much knowledge as possible.
A three-year contract is the standard length of a deal for an undrafted free agent. The Ravens aren’t expressing any unique commitment to Pavia or to any of their other priority free agent signings.
“New agent loophole is having reporters frame a UDFA contract as a “three-year deal,” joked Jake Rabadi in a post on X.
New agent loophole is having reporters frame a UDFA contract as a “three-year deal” https://t.co/QAyDCgJVpi
— Jake Rabadi (@JakeRabadi) April 28, 2026
Pavia was the 15th-ranked quarterback on the consensus big board and No. 330 overall prospect. He was the first Heisman trophy finalist to go undrafted since 2014. There were 10 quarterbacks drafted over the weekend, starting with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, and ending with LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 249.
“Congrats to Diego,” wrote former NFL punter Pat McAfee.
CONGRATS TO DIEGO https://t.co/THEKTrQSMg
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 28, 2026
Getting Pavia a rookie camp tryout is one thing, but striking a deal with the Ravens before he even sets foot on the practice field is a “legacy moment” for Pavia’s agent, writes another user on X.
Legacy moment for his agent https://t.co/YLQQMtGgI2
— Nico (@elitetakes_) April 28, 2026
Pavia is on the heels of a senior season at Vanderbilt that saw him walk away with a slew of awards. He was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, A first-team All-American, and a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award recipient, among others.
In 13 games, he completed 70.6% of his passes for 3,539 yards, 29 touchdowns, and just 8 interceptions. He also rushed for 862 yards and 10 more touchdowns with his legs. It was the second consecutive season that would see Pavia throw for more than 20 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions.
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Pavia falling out of the draft was one of the biggest stories of the weekend, prompting heaps of speculation as to why that would’ve happened. CFBudge, an account specializing in college football analysis, called the discourse around Pavia “dumb” and expressed gratitude that Pavia landed an opportunity.
Glad to see this happen. Tired of the dumb Pavia discourse over the last week. https://t.co/AUUx7j40sW
— CFBudge (@CF_Budge) April 28, 2026
“I’m fully convinced Pavia thinks he will take Lamar’s job,” wrote Bryce DeGroat, another analyst. The likelihood of that is extremely slim, of course, but there’s an opportunity for Pavia to unseat Tyler Huntley for the No. 2 job in Baltimore.
According to PFSN’s CFB QB Impact Metric, Pavia earned a staggering impact score of 94.8 for the 2025 season. This earned him an A grade and ranked him No. 1 overall among all college quarterbacks.
