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Diego Pavia's NFL Draft rejection explained by former Pro Bowl quarterback After Diego Pavia led Vanderbilt to the program's first 10-win season last year, many figured he would be taken in the 2026 NFL Draft.
As fate would have it, the SEC's leading passer was on the outside looking in after all 257 names were announced in Pittsburgh on Saturday night. What makes the situation even more bizarre is Pavia has yet to sign a free agent deal with an NFL team. This is a rare situation for a quarterback with such an accomplished resume.
No Heisman finalist has gone undrafted over the past 12 years, putting his chances of actually getting into the league nearly 24 hours later very slim. Why wasn't Pavia worthy of being an NFL Draft pick?
The answer is complex and likely on a case-by-case basis for all 32 NFL teams. Most of them didn't need a quarterback and saw the Vandy standout as a distraction due to his "day one starter" mentality. One former quarterback saw Pavia's situation a little differently and explained the thought process of NFL evaluators and why he was likely passed on.
Jim Everett spent 12 seasons in the NFL and remains in the top 50 for both passing yards (34,837) and touchdowns (203) in the Super Bowl era. Before his success with the Rams and Saints, he came from a similar background as Pavia, with both quarterbacks growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Ironically, both were Heisman finalists 40 years apart. Pavia came in second to Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, who was this year's No. 1 overall pick. Everett finished sixth with 12 first-place votes in 1985 for his senior season at Purdue. He went on to be the No. 3 overall in the 1986 NFL Draft, and Pavia is now an afterthought for making an NFL roster. Two different career paths to say the least.
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Everett is interested in seeing where Pavia goes from here. "All Pavia has done is ball out," Everett told Sporting News. "If he said or done anything to teams, I am unaware of it."
Outside his play on the field, could size have been the biggest factor for an NFL team deciding where to put Pavia? Everett lays out why a player with a lot of talent hits a wall.
"Do your own research. In the modern era of football, there are zero QBs under 6-feet tall in the Hall of Fame," Everett explained. "People forget they are drafting future results and past results may be helpful to help determine the player. They are ultimately irrelevant to what future success is projected.
"We see great college players go undrafted because of size limitations at every position. Or maybe they are projected to not get bigger, faster, better in the frame God gave them. So I’m guessing now, but maybe the pros see Pavia as maxed out. On the backside of his production curve… And we all have them, and we all retire at some time. No team saw upside from a physical standpoint and that evaluation goes for every player.
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"If you don’t fit the mold…doesn’t mean you can’t play… But the NFL has years of research on what probability of success looks like and if you’re always playing uphill to the statistics. They know it all eventually wears you down. So that is why there’s reach for guys they see that have not reached their potential more than undersized guys that have gone beyond."
Pavia hits the crossroads of his football journey early in his career. Either try to work his way into the NFL knowing he won't be viewed as a starter now or ever, for that matter, or go the CFL or UFL route and try to find a team willing to build around the story. Avoiding the NFL might be the safest if being a professional football player is still a priority for him. Everett agrees and wants Pavia to beat the odds.
"I do wish him continued success, but it is highly likely you see Pavia in Canada or arena because he has more traits for success there."
Pavia has yet to sign with any team as of Sunday evening. There are a couple teams who could use his talents, but given most QBs slotted after him have announced their next steps, he might be left out in the dark.
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