Diego Pavia's NFL dream will start with 3-year Ravens contract

Diego Pavia made history at Vanderbilt by doing things people said he couldn't. Now he's set to try again in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens.

Pavia was the first Heisman Trophy runner up in two decades not to hear his name called at the NFL Draft, ceding ground to 257 players as questions swirled about his size and attitude. But that size and attitude helped develop him into a star and made one of the SEC's doormats a legitimate College Football Playoff candidate. The Commodores had their first 10-win season in program history in 2025 thanks in large part to Pavia's playmaking and bravado.

Now, after initially going unsigned in the frenzy following the final pick of the draft, he's turned what was originally a minicamp tryout into a non-guaranteed three-year contract with Baltimore.

The Ravens have had success with mobile quarterbacks who had college success despite less-than-ideal statures. Trace McSorley, coincidentally a former Vandy commit who followed James Franklin to Penn State, spent time as Lamar Jackson's backup. Same with Tyler Huntley, who has spent five of his six pro seasons as a useful dual-threat understudy and even made a Pro Bowl roster because the NFL's all-star game is meaningless. There's a blueprint here for Pavia to follow.

At the same time, he'll have competition. He wasn't even the only quarterback to sign a three-year contract Tuesday.

With Huntley under contract for 2026, Pavia and Fagnano will battle for a chance to be Baltimore's developmental option. That leaves long odds to ever see the field in a regular season NFL game. Then again, Pavia is used to long odds after playing himself up from zero-star recruit to Heisman runner-up.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: