The Baltimore Ravens were busy during the 2026 NFL Draft, especially since they ended up holding onto their first-round pick (the No. 14 overall selection) after they backed out of their blockbuster trade with the Las Vegas Raiders for Maxx Crosby earlier this offseason. Even after the team brought 11 new players to town, though, they weren’t finished in the wake of the draft wrapping up.
Baltimore promptly scoured the undrafted free agent market for more diamonds in the rough, and one player it ended up bringing to town was former Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia. Despite finishing as the runner-up in the 2026 Heisman Trophy race, Pavia did not hear his name called in the draft, and after he latched on with the Ravens, he drew a strong message from his new head coach, Jesse Minter.
Jesse Minter to Diego Pavia — ‘Show Us What You Can Do’
Baltimore currently has Lamar Jackson under center at quarterback, and as long as he stays healthy, nobody is going to be replacing him on the field for the time being. Jackson labored through an injury-plagued campaign in 2025, though, so the Ravens’ new regime wants to make sure it has options it can turn to if he is forced to miss time again.
Right now, Tyler Huntley is Jackson’s backup, but the front office opted to sign both Pavia and former UConn Huskies star Joe Fagnano in the wake of the 2026 draft. Pavia, in particular, is an intriguing prospect, as he threw for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, while also rushing for 862 yards and 10 more scores.
Standing at just 5’10, though, Pavia is a fairly undersized quarterback, and concerns about how his game would translate to the NFL led to him not hearing his name called during the draft. Now that he has found his way to Baltimore, though, Minter and the rest of the coaching staff want to see what Pavia is capable of, as he urged the 2025 SEC Offensive Player of the Year to put his best foot forward.
“So now he’s in the door and it’s like, ‘Show us what you can do,'” Minter said of Pavia, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “And just like all the undrafted rookies, that’s what I would say. For us, we see it as an opportunity to bring a player in that could potentially be something, and that’s really what this is for us.”
Diego Pavia Competing for No. 3 Quarterback Gig with Joe Fagnano
GettyKNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 29: Diego Pavia #2 of the Vanderbilt Commodores (now of the Baltimore Ravens) warms up prior to the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on November 29, 2025 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
Pavia is going to need time to develop before he finds his way onto the field in the NFL, and even if he cracks the Ravens’ roster, he is going to be the No. 3 option behind Jackson and Huntley. While Pavia has a better track record of success from his collegiate career, Fagnano’s production during his time with UConn can’t be overlooked either (285/413, 3,448 YDS, 28 TD, 1 INT, 47 CAR, 131 YDS, 3 TD in 2025).
Nothing is going to be given to Pavia, but his play with Vanderbilt earned him an opportunity to prove what he’s capable with now that he has signed with the Ravens. Minter knows the upside that Pavia possesses, but it will be up to him to earn a spot with the team, making him an intriguing prospect to keep tabs on over the next few months.
Diego Pavia Draws Another Strong Message from Jesse Minter After Ravens Signing