Diego Pavia makes terrible mistake ahead of 2026 NFL Draft

Diego Pavia might be street smart, but he's stepping into uncharted territory and might need some help.

The Vanderbilt quarterback is opting to take a rare step in the NFL Draft process by “representing himself” and not hiring an agent. His basis for why he's not preserving his future is because he negotiated his return to Vanderbilt this past season. However, he had a legal team behind him.

“I’m representing myself,” Pavia told Jon Gruden recently.

The move could be one of his worst to date as NFL teams consider trying to fit him into the equation. Pavia isn't viewed as a top-100 pick and likely falls into the Day 3 category. Without an agent putting him out there and "working the phones" on his behalf, it may drop him into the undrafted category.

Shedeur Sanders also never signed with an agent prior to the draft and fell from being a projected first-round pick to No. 144 in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Not to say the situation is the same, but there's something to be said about having an agent who has long-standing relationships with teams and has their ears to the ground.

“I didn’t think it was fair that someone was going to represent me and take five to 10 percent. Ain’t nobody taking my money, I’ll tell you that," Pavia added.

Pavia's senior season was one of the best in Vanderbilt history, throwing 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions to earn Heisman runner-up honors. The Commodores ended with a 10-3 record, which was the best ever.

Despite the success, Pavia can't mask the lack of knowledge in the process and it shows.

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