The 2026 NFL Draft came with a ton of surprises. From the Ty Simpson selection to some major first-round falls, the three-day process was full of unpredictability. However, one of the more shocking developments came with a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Diego Pavia had a solid collegiate career and had his best year with Vanderbilt in 2025. Still, the youngster went undrafted, instead being brought on as a free agent. With a roster spot still up in the air, one NFL pundit explained what went wrong for the Commodores product.
Insider Discussed Why Diego Pavia Went Undrafted Despite Strong College Numbers
Throwing for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns while completing over 70% of his passes, it seemed like Pavia would carve out a role for himself on a roster. Even if not as a bona fide starter, he had the perfect archetype for a backup.
However, while 10 quarterbacks were selected over the seven rounds, Pavia’s name wasn’t among the ones called. Waiting a while longer, he was signed by the Baltimore Ravens on a three-year contract, alongside Joe Fagnano.
As he tries to compete for a roster spot, James Palmer of Bleacher Report went into detail on what hurt Pavia during the draft process. For him, his size, physical strength, and inability to sling it down the field certainly hurt his stock.
However, beyond his physical limitations, one key intangible also worked against him.
“Then you have the makeup and that aspect of him,” Palmer said. “Whether it is ‘F all the voters’ or it’s urinating on New Mexico’s rival team, when he was at New Mexico State, on the practice field.”
Going a step further, he added, “Your backup quarterback, the guy who’s not the starting quarterback for your team, is drawing headlines and drawing media to their locker and drawing distractions from your team. Backup quarterbacks in the NFL are supposed to be never seen, never heard, unless it is on the practice field or in the meeting room.”
As a result, those “distractions,” as Palmer called them, could end up becoming the ultimate albatross around Diego Pavia’s neck. Even though he is signed to the Ravens, the insider doesn’t believe it is a situation that is going to work.
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Instead, he offered a different alternative. “Most teams are not going to have you there. Some people believe his best move is the UFL. Right now, he’s signed to the Ravens. We’ll see what ends up happening.”
It remains to be seen if Pavia can become an unexpected success story in the coming years. But for the time being, the odds, some of his volition, are stacked against him.
