Diego Pavia has a message for NFL skeptics: Size isn’t everything

Diego Pavia has always played with a chip on his shoulder and his journey to the NFL is no different. The former Vanderbilt quarterback is trying to do it one more time with draft aspirations on the line. 

Pavia is one of six quarterbacks in Mobile, Alabama this week for the Senior Bowl, an annual showcase that brings scouts, coaches and executives from all 32 NFL teams together ahead of the draft. Pavia is easily the smallest quarterback in the group, measuring 5-foot-9 and 198 pounds at check in on Tuesday.

But being one the shortest out there has never phased Pavia. 

“My size has been doubted my whole life,” Pavia said Monday via AL.com. “I feel like the only thing the NFL cares about is can you win, and I view myself as a winner.”

The resume backs him up. Pavia had no scholarship offers coming out of Volcano Vista High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He went on to lead New Mexico Military Institute to a national junior college championship in 2021, then helped New Mexico State reach 10 wins and a Conference USA runner-up finish in 2023.

His rise peaked at Vanderbilt, where he helped turn the SEC’s longtime cellar-dweller into a legitimate winner. The Commodores upset then-No. 1 Alabama during the 2024 season and followed it with a 10-3 campaign that included four wins over ranked opponents in 2025. 

Along the way, Pavia’s outspoken confidence earned him both critics and admirers. Senior Bowl executive director Drew Fabianich acknowledged Pavia still has questions to answer.

“He needs to prove he can operate from the pocket or that a team is comfortable building around his legs and RPO game,” Fabianich said. “But he’s a competitor. He wins, and that’s why he’s here.”

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Practices are only part of the evaluation. Senior Bowl week also features extensive interviews, an area where Pavia’s personality could shine.

“Whoever takes a chance on me,” Pavia said, “we’re going to win.”

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The Senior Bowl will be played Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium, with live coverage on NFL Network on Jan 31. 

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