The quarterback position for the Detroit Lions behind starter Jared Goff has been a topic of speculation all offseason and that continued into training camp, which kicked off over the weekend.
Nick Brinkerhoff of USA Today on July 23 floated the Lions as a landing spot for Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia, formerly of Vanderbilt, who the Baltimore Ravens released last week.
“Teddy Bridgewater and Luke Altmyer are the only insurance behind Jared Goff on the Lions roster,” Brinkerhoff wrote. “This is a perfect spot for Pavia, given how well he fits the city and the football team’s mentality that represents it.”
Diego Pavia Undersized QB With Strong Out of Structure Talent
GettyQuarterback Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions.
Pavia, 24, finished last season with 3,539 yards, 29 TDs and eight INTs on 70.6 percent passing. He also rushed for 862 yards and 10 scores.
Despite his accomplishments across 53 games played at the collegiate level over the past four years, Pavia went undrafted in April before joining the Ravens. He remained with that franchise for almost three months before the team cut him.
Baltimore let Pavia go to create room for former Cleveland Browns starting center Ethan Pocic, who will compete for the same job with the Ravens during training camp.
Pavia is just a shade over five-feet, 10-inches tall and weighs 207 pounds. His size is a detriment to his NFL prospects, though his attitude and toughness have caught the eyes of some around the league.
“[Pavia is] improvisational, creating explosives that aren’t on the call sheet without playing reckless hero ball,” Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote. “He scans through progressions, throwing with intermediate accuracy, but impatience versus zone can lead to costly mistakes.
“He can stand and deliver or escape and win with his arm or legs when pressured,” Zierlein continued. “However, he lacks ideal mechanics and needs altered launch points for cleaner sight lines and release points. His deep ball is below average. He isn’t explosive or fast, but he’s a force multiplier for the run game, especially near the goal line.”
Lions to Rely Heavily on Offense With Depleted Defense, Major Questions in Secondary
GettyDetroit Lions safety Brian Branch.
The Lions have rarely needed anyone to step in to support Goff across his five years in Detroit, during which he has only failed to appear/start in three regular season games, all of which came in 2021.
That said, the team needs a strong backup signal-caller heading into 2026 given how reliant the Lions will likely be on the offensive side of the football during the campaign. The defensive unit, particularly the secondary, is battered by injury and uncertainty after the franchise cut ties with 2024 first-round pick Terrion Arnold earlier this summer.
Detroit’s pass rush is also a question opposite superstar defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, which will complicate the lack of high-end cornerbacks on the roster and the lack of available talent at safety — with Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch both entering training camp coming off serious injuries in 2025, a knee issue and torn Achilles tendon, respectively.
Lions ‘Perfect’ Landing Spot for Rookie QB, Heisman Trophy Finalist After Cut