If there is a player with a chip on its shoulder coming into the 2026 NFL Draft, it’s Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. Always regarded like an underdog due to his size, he has turned into quite a pitbull, stocky, aggressive, and with a tough mentality. He is now dismissing the doubters quite vehemently.
When Pavia didn’t win the Heisman, Pavia said, “F— all the voters.” While he apologized for that, the fact is Pavia holds grudges against the ones who doubt him. Speaking on Friday at the combine, he was asked about people worrying about his size, given that Pavia stands at 5’9″ tall, according to his measurements in the Senior Bowl. That would put him below Bryce Young and Kyler Murray as the shortest QB in the NFL. Young and Murray stand at 5’10” and have struggled.
Still, Pavia is confident, saying, “I would just say turn on the tape. It’s not like we’re not playing these guys who are going first round, second round on Saturdays in the SEC. So, I know the SEC and the Big Ten probably have the most guys drafted in the first and second round. So, we’re playing those guys and ain’t nothing going to change.”
Pavia is short, but he is very physical
Contrary to Young and Murray, who have struggled with contact during their carees, Pavia doesn’t shy away from it and he will try to bulldoze the defenders before going down. His build is more stocky and strong than Young’s and Murray. Still, NFL teams don’t exactly love their QBs taking hits and/or struggling to see above the line of scrimmage.
However, Pavia says his skill set helps him beat the obstacles. “I’ve seen a lot of football. I feel like I can process a defense really fast, get the ball where it needs to go, check us into good plays, stay out of bad plays. And I feel like that’s how you stay on schedule [with] that second-and-6, third-and-short, that’s how you win football games.”
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Pavia’s projected spot in the NFL Draft
The 2026 NFL Draft will take place on April, but we have combines, Pro Days, and plenty of more chances to elevate your stock before the draft comes into fruition. As for Pavia, his draft projection is all over the place, but on the lower side of things.
Some mock drafts have him between the fifth and seventh round, while other scouts see him going undrafted. Pavia is a big name and has a big personality. Hence, Pavia is likely to get chances, even if undrafted, to try and win a place in the NFL. However, once again, he will be an underdog to the highest of levels.
