Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia spent four years in college, building his way up to the SEC with the Commodores. With the 2026 NFL Combine behind us, it remains to be seen how well the shot-caller impressed scouts. He booked a solid 2025 season, recording over 3500 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
How does he compare to past and current pros?
Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia Resembles One of the Most Dangerous Dual-Threat QBs in the NFL
Pavia, standing at 5’10” and weighing 207 pounds, has 9.6″ hands and a 28.6″ armspan. While he doesn’t measure up to the typical NFL quarterback, he does resemble some interesting players.
5) Woody Dantzler, Clemson
Woody Dantzler didn’t shine much in college, making it quite the feat when the Dallas Cowboys signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2002. In a strange turn of events, though, they converted him into a running back, even though they didn’t use him by any means.
He ended up seeing NFL touches at the Atlanta Falcons in 2003. He missed the 2004 campaign, and his last hurrah in the league was a 2005 practice squad appearance with the Cowboys.
4) D’Eriq King, Miami
Miami product D’Eriq King spent six years in college, only to amount to nothing in his pro career. A total of 8,378 passing yards, 76 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions only saw him get signed as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots in 2022, who didn’t do anything with him. They cut him seven days after signing him, before the Carolina Panthers moved in months later to pick him up. However, they cut him off eight days later.
3) Jaren Hall, BYU
BYU alum Jaren Hall put up a strong 2022 campaign, recording 3,171 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, and six picks to hype him up to become a fifth-round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2023.
However, he didn’t produce much in the NFL, going 1-1 as a starter with the Vikings, amounting to a 5.3 career QBR. A brief succeeding stint with the Seattle Seahawks rounded up his run in the pros.
2) Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
Oregon alum Dillon Gabriel booked five 3,000-yard passing seasons in college to exceed the draft stock of the famous Shedeur Sanders. While Gabriel was only selected in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns, he was always going to get a shot on Kevin Stefanski’s losing team. Not that he made much of the opportunity: 1-5 as a starter with a 31.4 QBR (51 PFSN QB Impact).
What becomes of the backup remains to be seen.
1) Kyler Murray, Oklahoma
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray built himself up in the barn of Lincoln Riley. While he had the chance to play in the MLB, he opted to deploy his dual-threat skill set in the NFL.
His intangibles, arm, and legs translated well into the league; however, he has yet to record a season with a QBR over 65.
If history is anything to go by, Vanderbilt’s Pavia will have a tough time making ends meet in the NFL.
