30 of the 32 NFL teams have entered the offseason and are preparing for the upcoming NFL Draft, which is less than 100 days away. There will be many pre-draft showcases for draft prospects over the next couple of months, and the first is the Senior Bowl, which takes place this week.
One player that many people will have an eye on this week is Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. Ahead of the Senior Bowl, one analyst gave his honest opinion about Pavia’s prospects.
NFL Draft Expert Projects Diego Pavia’s Shortcomings
The practices during the week leading up to the game on Saturday are very important, as coaches and scouts from each team will be in attendance. Pavia had an incredible senior season, finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting. However, he is not looked at as a premier quarterback prospect entering the draft, but he will have the chance to improve his stock over the next few months.
At this point in draft season, most players have a relative projection as to where they would be selected if the draft were held tomorrow. There is no one better at those projections than NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler. He is the draft expert for The Athletic and does a great job diving into every draft-eligible prospect.
Brugler had the following to say about Pavia as we head into Senior Bowl week, “For most teams, Pavia is an undrafted prospect due to his lack of ideal size and arm. But he is a gamer with the confidence and mobility that have elevated every offense he has been a part of. Senior Bowl practices aren’t exactly set up to showcase his strengths, but scouts want to see him prove them wrong.”
Hearing Pavia as an “undrafted prospect” may be a surprise to some, but his traits do not translate well to the NFL. We have seen many great college quarterbacks who do not work out in the NFL, and that seems to be the projection for Pavia.
It will be interesting to see what Pavia looks like in practice this week. He will be going up against some of the other top seniors around the nation, and it will be a great opportunity to put many of the pre-draft concerns to bed.
Pavia Is Part of a Weak QB Class
Luckily for Pavia, he is part of a weak QB class that could allow him to go higher in the draft than many expect, because teams will be desperate for a signal-caller. However, the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine will likely be the two offseason workouts where Pavia can show he deserves to be drafted.
Pavia stands at 5’9 7/8″ and weighs 198 pounds. While that is not the ideal size for an NFL quarterback, there is nothing he can do to change it. At least he will get the opportunity to show he can make all the throws and has some traits that can translate into NFL success. He will be one of the most polarizing players to watch as we go through the draft process.
