The Baltimore Ravens made headlines by signing Heisman Trophy runner-up quarterback Diego Pavia to a 3-year contract after he wasn’t selected in the 2026 NFL draft.
Pavia’s signing made news for several reasons, not the least of which was that he became the 1st Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback to go undrafted since Northern Illinois’ Jordan Lynch in 2014 and 1st Heisman Trophy runner-up quarterback to go undrafted since Iowa’s Brad Banks in 2003.
The reasons why Pavia went undrafted got a closer inspection by Bleacher Report’s James Palmer, and those reasons don’t shed a very good light on Pavia.
“Pavia was always being looked at by teams in the draft as a backup quarterback,” Palmer said. “And the main thing teams want in a backup quarterback is for them not to be a distraction. That’s what Pavia ended up being viewed as … he’s also only 5-foot-10 and really can’t throw a deep ball, so there’s that, too.”
Controversy Erupted Following Heisman Loss
After losing the Heisman Trophy to eventual No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza following the 2025 season, Pavia had to backtrack pretty quickly after posting “(EXPLETIVE) ALL THE VOTERS” on his official Instagram account after the Heisman ceremony.
Within 24 hours, Pavia posted an apology on his official X account.
“To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful,” Pavia wrote. “I didn’t handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to. I have much love and respect for the Heisman voters and the selection process, and I apologize for being disrespectful. It was a mistake, and I am sorry … I’ve been doubted my whole life. Every step of my journey, I’ve had to break down doors and fight for myself, because I’ve learned that nothing would be handed to me.”
Mock Drafts Predicted Pavia Would Go Undrafted
The writing may have been on the wall for the 5-foot-10, 207-pound Pavia, who played 2 seasons at New Mexico Military Institute, and 2 seasons at New Mexico State, before becoming a household name at Vanderbilt over the last 2 seasons.
Still, headed into the draft, the writing seemed to be on the wall that Pavia wasn’t going to be picked.
“The Athletic’s Dane Brugler and ESPN’s Jordan Reid both released final 7-round mocks in the days leading up to the NFL draft,” Heavy’s Jonathan Adams wrote. “Pavia was absent from both mock drafts, indicating the quarterback would need to sign with an NFL team as an undrafted free agent.”
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein predicted Pavia would be either a 7th-round pick or a preferred free agent signing.
“Pavia is a short, tough, productive quarterback who plays bigger than his measurables,” Zierlein wrote. “He elevates those around him and was the main character in Vanderbilt’s shift from doormat to winning program. He’s improvisational, creating explosives that aren’t on the call sheet without playing reckless hero ball. He scans through progressions, throwing with intermediate accuracy, but impatience versus zone can lead to costly mistakes … quarterbacks his size rarely make NFL rosters, but his competitiveness should be a plus as long as he’s willing to accept a role as a backup.”
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