Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was one of the main focuses of curiosity during the physical evaluations at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. Precisely for this reason, the NFL World’s reactions to the QB’s performance on Saturday were very curious.
Diego Pavia Did Not Perform Well at the NFL Scouting Combine
PFSN’s Ian Cummings was there in person to follow the NFL Scouting Combine and offered some insightful comments about his participation.
Cummings said: “Diego Pavia entered the NFL Combine as one of the biggest names, but one of the most uncertain projections at QB. That hasn’t changed.”
He added, “Pavia opted not to take part in athletic testing while several other QBs shone, and while he rebounded from early misses in the throwing session, his arm strength, launch velocity, and downfield drive were visibly limited compared to other QBs in attendance.
He did do a backflip, which might count for something at the underwear olympics, but whether one sees Pavia as a developmental QB or likely WR convert, both schools of thought were left wanting a great deal more on Saturday.”
NFL World Did Not Let Pavia’s Participation Go Unnoticed
Cummings’ reaction echoes those of the NFL World. The “MLFootball” profile highlighted Pavia’s height compared to other athletes.
Meanwhile, Sam Manson said that the QB “looks like a 40-year-old mechanic who won State back in ’04 and still thinks he could kick these young kids’ butts.”
Pavia looks like a 40 year old mechanic who won State back in ’04 and still thinks he could kick these young kids’ assess pic.twitter.com/annqYMI97J
— Sam Monson (@SamMonsonNFL) March 1, 2026
The attempt at a backflip did not go unnoticed by the official “Sports Illustrated” profile, and his below-average height also drew attention once again.
Diego Pavia got in on the backflip action 😂
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/HmZvtKIvLn
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 1, 2026
Tyler Brooke responded to a comment by Pavia about getting tips from Johnny Manziel: “I genuinely don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone consistently do the opposite of what they should be doing like Pavia has done in this pre-draft process.”
Finally, a clip titled “NFL Draft Files” shows yet another moment of inconsistency from the QB.
Diego Pavia missed bad on the first out route, but cleaned it up on the second one pic.twitter.com/Dwa2Od3Lbk
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) March 1, 2026
His physical limitations certainly did not go unnoticed by recruiters, and after his poor performance at the NFL Scouting Combine, Pavia’s situation regarding the NFL Draft has become much more delicate.
