It appears Baltimore Ravens quarterback Diego Pavia‘s NFL dream is close to being over before it even really started.
According to Ravens reporter Clifton Brown, Pavia was outplayed in offseason practices by veteran Skylar Thompson, who appears to have the clearest path to becoming Baltimore’s 3rd quarterback behind starter Lamar Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley.
“I think Skylar Thompson is the frontrunner to be the No. 3 quarterback, due to his edge in experience over a pair of rookies in Diego Pavia and Joe Fagnano,” Brown wrote. “During open practices, I haven’t seen Pavia or Fagnano outshine Thompson, who has played in 11 NFL games, including a playoff start with the Miami Dolphins in Jan. 2023. Thompson made one of the most impressive throws of minicamp when he ripped a long pass to the sideline to Dayton Wade, which earned Thompson some kudos from Jackson.”
The Ravens currently have 5 quarterbacks on the roster, including a pair of undrafted free agents with Pavia and former UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano.
It’s Pavia, though, who seems to eat up most of the headlines.
Off-Field Concerns May Have Led to Draft Snub
Pavia signing with the Ravens 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.
Bleacher Report’s James Palmer said it was off-field concerns and character issues that led to Pavia’s draft snub.
“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.
“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.”
Controversial Ravens QB Gets Bad News on Position Battle