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Diego Pavia wasn't drafted.
It wasn't totally shocking, but it wasn't totally expected, either. It's one of those things where you can understand why the NFL let Pavia go undrafted in the 2026 proceedings, but it's also still kind of crazy to see that happen to a Heisman finalist quarterback.
That's the reality, though. Pavia is now an undrafted free agent, able to sign with any team.
But what teams might want him? None wanted him enough to draft him.
Pavia was a swagger-filled college QB who turned the Vandy program around. There seems to be enough worth to at least getting him in the building and seeing him up close.
Along those lines, Sam Profeta wrote for The Sporting News about four teams that could take a shot on Pavia.
One of those? The New York Jets.
"Like Arizona, the Jets also drafted a quarterback in former Clemson QB Cade Klubnik, whom they selected in the fourth round," Profeta writes. "This Jets QB room could go down as the worst in the NFL, with Geno Smith slated to start Week 1, followed by Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe. They have absolutely nothing to lose in giving Pavia a chance. Especially since they’ve started a total of 12 quarterbacks since drafting Sam Darnold back in 2018. At this point, the Jets just need answers under center, and they have little risk, but all the reward is in at least signing Pavia to a training camp deal."
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Profeta's main point is fair: This room isn't good enough to dismiss anyone, including Pavia.
The Jets may have reached on Klubnik, but that also shows they like him. He'll definitely have a spot behind Smith.
So if Pavia was going to fit here, it'd be at the expense of Cook and Zappe.
The reality is the Jets may pick a first-round QB in the 2027 draft. In the meantime, they should see if any quarterback is a keeper.
Smith will start in Week 1, but Klubnik should see starts this season. And if the Jets have any reason to believe in Pavia at all, maybe they should give him a chance to start later in the year, too.
The Jets and Pavia would somehow make sense as a fit for the vibes, too. Why not?
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