Diego Pavia gets honest advice from infamous former Browns QB ahead of 2026 NFL Draft

Diego Pavia is the loud, confident, underdog story of the 2026 NFL Draft. He is now taking advice from one of the most mediatic quarterbacks the Cleveland Browns have ever had.

Pavia and none other than Johnny Manziel have been in close contact, it seems. “He’s giving me what to look out for, what it’s like, how to stay in the process. And, you know, he’s given me some good advice, for sure. He always reaches out, too, checks up on me, makes sure I’m good, and he just, like, he’s just a friend to me, you know? And so he’s giving me some mentorship. He’s been around me, he’s been around my family. He’s just a great person for those that really don’t know him.”

Now, whether taking advice from Manziel is a good or bad idea remains to be seen. After all, Manziel went from one of the most electric College Football quarterbacks of all time to one of the NFL‘s biggest cautionary tales ever.

What is Manziel doing these days?

A natural talent who just didn’t have the professionalism to make it big in the NFL, Manziel is one of the most infamous QBs ever, especially because he was tasked to turn the tide of the Cleveland Browns.

Johnny Manziel #2 of the Memphis Express

Per People.com, Manziel is now 33 years old. He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona and hosts the Glory Daze podcast, as doing other media ventures. His last football appearance was in the Fan Controlled Football (FCF), playing for the Memphis Express back in 2022.

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Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia confidently dismisses doubters ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft: ‘turn on the tape’

Pavia and Manziel’s story couldn’t be more different

Manziel was nicknamed Johnny Football for a reason. One of the best College Football players ever and also a guy who was poised for success. That was Manziel’s hype, and even though he fell on the draft, he was still a first-round pick for the Browns. As for Pavia, while he managed to be Heisman finalist, the Vanderbilt QB is still projected to go from a late-round draft pick to an undrafted prospect.

The only similarity between these two is that they are both seen as undersized players in the NFL. However, Manziel is still much taller than Pavia. Manziel is 5’11”, while Pavia is 5’9 7/8″ tall. Outside of that, there is not much that Manziel can actually tell Pavia about the NFL, since he only had two seasons before being released by the Browns, effectively ending his pro career.