Diego Pavia Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Nicole Hester/IMAGN Images)
School: Vanderbilt
Class: Redshirt Senior
Position: QB
HT: 6’0
WT: 207 lbs
Background: Diego Pavia was an unranked quarterback in 2020 out of Alburquerque, New Mexico. Pavia played for Volcano Vista and did not have a single FBS offer out of high school. He led them to an undefeated season as a senior before losing in the semifinals. Pavia also played baseball and wrestled for Volcano Vista. He was a state finalist three times as a wrestler, winning one state title. After high school, Pavia went the JUCO route at New Mexico Military Institute.
College: Diego spent two seasons there, winning the starting job as a freshman. In 2021, he led NMMI to win an NJCAA national championship. Coming off a championship run, Pavia transferred to New Mexico State to compete at the FBS level. Diego started every game for New Mexico State in 2023 and won Conference USA Player of the Year. He parlayed that into a transfer to Vanderbilt. In his first season at Vanderbilt, Pavia was an All-SEC Second Team selection after throwing for 2,293 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also ran for 801 yards on the season. In his 2025 campaign, Pavia was an All-SEC First Team Selection with 3,539 passing yards, 862 rushing yards, and 39 total touchdowns.
Strengths: Pavia’s mobility is largely what makes him so dangerous. He is liable to break the defense in one play with his legs. His athleticism allows him to make the moves necessary in open space to gash the defense in chunks at a time. His frame is dense and strong enough to take on that kind of contact and remain durable. This mobility and athleticism also pops on tape when Pavia has to improvise outside of structure. When leaving the pocket, Pavia remains focused on finding an open receiver and has the ability to avoid contact until he does so. He has also shown an incredible mental side of the game as a collegiate athlete. He never makes the same mistake twice in a game. When he throws an interception or has a negative play, he always bounces back to offset that negative. Lastly, while it may be a bit of a running joke that Pavia is one of the older prospects in the draft, that experience is valuable. An NFL team with a more complete roster around the quarterback position could view Pavia as a guy who can come in and win right away with that experience.
Weaknesses: Pavia’s height presets certain limitations. He has trouble seeing over the line and often has to flee the pocket to get a better visual of developments down the field. This leads to him leaving clean pockets far too early and allowing pressure to get home. Pavia doesn’t scan the field quick enough, often getting stuck on his first read without letting everything develop.
Conclusion: Diego Pavia is an undersized quarterback who managed to succeed at the highest level of college football. His experience and mental fortitude combined with his athletic ability provides an interesting skillset. He could come into an organization and give the starter a good offseason competition and maybe even win the starting job.
Best Team Fits: ARI, LAR, PIT
Player Comparison: Russell Wilson
Player Grade: Round 3 (72.6)
