Diego Pavia’s NFL Projection & Profile: Where Will The Former Vanderbilt QB Go?

For better or worse, Diego Pavia’s collegiate career has been utterly entertaining.

Pavia went from not receiving any FBS scholarship offers coming out of high school to nearly winning the Heisman Trophy. He’s been one of the most thrilling quarterbacks to watch, as he can make an impact through the air and on the ground.

But he’s also drawn attention off the field, sometimes for not-so positive reasons like his comments when he didn’t win the Heisman. He also earned his last season of college football after filing a lawsuit against the NCAA so that his time spent as a JUCO player didn’t count toward his eligibility.

Whatever you think of Pavia, he was an impactful player in the sport of college football. But what kind of impact – if any – will he make in the pro game?

Diego Pavia NFL Draft Betting Odds

Diego Pavia has +25000 betting odds to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, per BetMGM.

Diego Pavia NFL Draft Projection

I project Diego Pavia will be selected in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

I think Pavia was productive enough in college for an NFL team to give him a chance late in the draft. He’s an interesting prospect, enough so that I believe one team will want to make sure they can see him compete in preseason camps. 

Diego Pavia’s 40 Time

Diego Pavia ran the 40-yard dash in 4.76 seconds at Vanderbilt’s Pro Day.

Diego Pavia’s Height

Diego Pavia was measured at just under 5-foot-10 at the Senior Bowl. 

That would make him one of the shortest QBs in recent NFL memory. For example, Kyler Murray and Bryce Young are 5-foot-10. 

This could be a concern for many pro teams.

Diego Pavia Stats & Highlights

Pavia was a first-team All-SEC selection, a second-team All-American, and a Heisman Trophy finalist in his last year at Vanderbilt. That’s because he was electric.

Pavia completed 70.6% of his passes for 3,539 yards, 29 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while rushing for 862 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025. The year before, he threw for 2,293 yards, 20 TDs, and four picks on a 59% completion rate while rushing for 801 yards and eight touchdowns.

His two years at Vanderbilt followed his two seasons at New Mexico State, where he was the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. He led NMSU to bowl-eligibility in 2022 and 2023, as the Aggies went 17-11 during that span. They also went 7-1 in CUSA play in 2023, falling to Liberty in the CUSA Championship game.

In his first year at NMSU, Pavia threw for 1,450 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions with a 53% completion rate while adding 508 yards and six TDs on the ground in eight starts. In 2023, Pavia kept improving, throwing for 2,973 yards, 26 scores, and nine picks with a 60% completion rate and running for 923 yards and seven TDs.

Where Is Diego Pavia From?

Diego Pavia is from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He went to Volcano Vista but didn’t have a single FBS offer out of high school. So he went to New Mexico Military Institute before arriving at New Mexico State.

How Old Is Diego Pavia?

Diego Pavia is 24 years old.

Diego Pavia NFL Draft Profile

Pavia is a playmaker, plain and simple.

As a passer, he made a ton of accurate throws in the short and intermediate areas of the field. That accuracy especially shows up when he’s improvising. 

When he’s scrambling, he seems to constantly come up with explosive plays. He’s arguably at his best when he’s on the move. That includes designed runs, and a QB run game can put stress on defenses.

Pavia’s accuracy with deep passes will be a concern, as will his height. Can he break the mold and be a productive quarterback in the NFL at 5-10?

We’ll have to see. But that will require an NFL team having patience with him and giving him a chance.