Through 100 picks and three rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft, four quarterbacks have heard their names called from the podium in Pittsburgh, but Diego Pavia wasn’t one of them.
Pavia measured in at 5-foot-10 at the Combine in Indianapolis and was the only quarterback at the event shorter than 6-feet. The possibility of going undrafted is staring him down and while his height and skillset are a major reason why, there’s also some off-field concerns impacting his stock.
NFL Scouts Raise Major Questions About Diego Pavia
Pavia’s production at Vanderbilt was elite as he completed 70.6% of his passes for 3,539 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions while adding 862 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
He led the SEC in completion percentage, passer rating, and passing touchdowns. He also led the nation in PFSN’s CFB QB Impact Metric with a 94.8 QBi score, finishing ahead of No. 1 overall pick and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza (93.3).
However, none of that has quieted the skeptics in NFL front offices. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero gathered scouting assessments on the various QBs in this draft, and they painted a blunt picture of Pavia.
“The whole schtick gets old,” an NFC scouting director said. “Little bit of Johnny Football – it’s more lore and college bulls*** than it is really true mystique or allure or whatever. I just don’t think he’s overly talented. He’ll bounce around on a couple teams, just because he’s competitive. I think he’s smart and he’ll learn it and all that stuff. But you’ve got a runaround, RPO, college quarterback with an average arm.”
Apart from the Johnny Manziel comparison, another scout raised concerns about Pavia’s inner circle, noting that teams will question whether he can consistently separate himself from off-field distractions.
“He has fun off the field and hasn’t been secret about it. He’s got some brothers that he’s close with that can be around — they seem like a tight-knit group, and that’s one thing teams will be questioning, if he’ll be able to always make the right decisions to separate himself,” one scout said.
Pavia’s brothers Roel and Javier repeatedly drew law-enforcement attention at Vanderbilt’s games, and Pavia has made it clear that they aren’t going anywhere.
There are also concerns about Pavia’s willingness to serve as a backup in the NFL and the attention that he may generate. Similar concerns were raised about Shedeur Sanders and the circus that comes with him, which played a major role in him slipping to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
“I don’t think he’s going to embrace being a backup,” said an AFC scouting director. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but he’s coming to take someone’s job and it’s going to be kind of an interesting dynamic wherever he goes. Because you know the fans are going to be calling for him wherever he goes. The brothers will be in the stands. During the interview process, most guys would [downplay it]. He embraces his brothers. ‘They’re coming with me. Those are my guys. They ain’t going anywhere.’”
In PFSN analyst Ian Cummings’ latest mock draft for day 3, he projects that Pavia will go undrafted.
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The irony of Pavia’s draft limbo is that going undrafted might serve him better than getting picked in the seventh round. As a free agent, he would control his landing spot and choose the depth chart that offers the clearest developmental path. A late-round selection would send him behind a veteran who already has the job locked down.
If Pavia lands in the right system with a coaching staff willing to develop a short, mobile quarterback, there’s a version of this story that works. But it requires something Pavia hasn’t shown much interest in: patience.
