Will Diego Pavia be drafted today? A closer look at the chances for the Heisman runner-up

Will Diego Pavia be drafted today? A closer look at the chances for the Heisman runner-up originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

There is no doubt Diego Pavia is undersized as an NFL quarterback. However, he is the same height as Kyler, Murray and Bryce young, when they were coming out of college.

The broader picture, though, with Pavia, who played a ton of college football, is the total package. He played at the JUCO level before New Mexico State and then Vanderbilt, where he was the Heisman runner-up last year. The Commodores won 10 games for the first time ever.

Where does this put him entering Day 3 of the NFL Draft?

NFL coaches and executives seem to recognize Pavia's football IQ and competitive nature. But this comes down to fit. NFL teams constructing a deeper quarterback room aren't taking Pavia as a late-round pick to start. He's considered to be toward the end of Day 3, but might go undrafted as a priority free agent.

The dynamics in any QB room are universal, which is the problem. Pavia's "larger than life" personality isn't winning over anyone. NFL executives are asking him about being a backup for the first time in his life, and it's not being received with open eyes. Pavia wants to take somebody's job and won't accept anything less.

More:Diego Pavia 2026 NFL Draft tracker live updates on Vanderbilt quarterback

Everyone has to be comfortable with the idea of Pavia being a backup quarterback, even in his mind. He's not a starter at this point, and is not going to be one soon. It will be fascinating to see when he goes and who brings him into their quarterback room at some point again today. Whether he gets taken off the board or goes undrafted remains to be seen.