A standout college quarterback who nearly captured the Heisman Trophy has found his way onto an NFL roster after impressing during a rookie minicamp appearance.
According to Adam Schefter, Diego Pavia has agreed to a three-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens after initially arriving on a tryout basis, turning a short-term opportunity into a longer commitment. The move gives the team added depth at quarterback as it builds out its offseason roster.
Pavia is coming off a breakout season at Vanderbilt, where he emerged as one of the most dynamic players in the country. He threw for more than 3,500 yards and 29 touchdowns while adding another dimension with his legs, piling up over 800 rushing yards and 10 scores. That dual-threat production helped guide the program to a double-digit win season and vaulted him into the national spotlight.
His rise culminated in a second-place finish in Heisman voting, a remarkable achievement for a player who wasn’t widely projected as a top draft pick entering the year.
Still, questions around his physical profile followed him into the pre-draft process. At under 5-foot-10, evaluators debated how his size might translate to the next level, ultimately contributing to him going undrafted. Rather than dwell on that outcome, Pavia used his minicamp invite as a proving ground.
He now joins a quarterback room led by Lamar Jackson, stepping into a situation where competition for depth roles will be key throughout the offseason. Another undrafted quarterback was also added, signaling a broader effort to bring in young talent at the position.
Pavia’s path to this point has been anything but conventional. Before transferring to Vanderbilt, he spent time at New Mexico State and began his college career at a junior college program, steadily working his way up the ranks. Now, after years of progression, he’ll get his first real shot at the NFL level.
