Draft-Week Buzz
No verified pre-draft news items in the past 30 days for this prospect. See Day 2/3 Team Fits below for projected landing spots and /news.html for the cross-prospect timeline.
Scouting Nugget: Undersized winner; Vandy's heart-and-soul
Expanded bio coming soon. This prospect is Quarterback #23 in the 2026 class.
Background
Vanderbilt QB from Albuquerque (NM); New Mexico State transfer. Undersized (5-11) winner who led NMSU to a CUSA title before flipping to the SEC.
College Production
2023 NMSU: 2,973 pass yds, 26 TDs + 790 rush yds — CUSA title. 2024-25 Vandy: led Vandy to landmark upsets of Alabama + Auburn.
Scouting Take
Beloved locker-room leader with rugby-style running and off-script improv. Height + arm strength both well below NFL thresholds.
Draft Projection
UDFA. Cult-figure developmental dart throw; more likely QB coach than starter.
Sources
Our scouting profile is assembled from these primary sources + cross-checked against ESPN (Kiper / Reid / Miller), PFF's 2026 Big Board, Dane Brugler's The Beast 2026, and Daniel Jeremiah's top-50. See our full methodology and citations.
Day 2 / Day 3 Team Fits
NFL teams that lost a same-position veteran this offseason — and could target Diego Pavia as a Day 2/3 replacement option.
- REPORTED Las Vegas Raiders: moved on from Geno Smith (pocket-QB).
Picks held: R1 #1; R2 #36 - REPORTED Arizona Cardinals: moved on from Kyler Murray (pocket-QB).
Picks held: R1 #3; R2 #34
Confidence: "VERIFIED" departures cite a publication URL (Spotrac, OverTheCap, ESPN, NFL.com, team transactions page) confirming the move and date. "REPORTED" entries come from public free-agency trackers without a single canonical source we could attach. Fits are archetype-and-position based; we are not claiming the team has expressed interest in the prospect.
NFL Scheme Fit
NFL Scheme Fit
- RPO / spread / movement-passer offense
Buffalo Bills · Philadelphia Eagles · Atlanta Falcons · Cincinnati Bengals
Scheme Misfit Notes
- Pure pocket Air-Coryell offenses
Scheme matches are bucketed from the prospect's height, weight, and (for WRs) archetype tag against a static lookup of which NFL teams currently run each scheme family.
Rookie Contract & Landing-Spot Outlook
Projected Rookie Contract Value
~$0.84M base + bonus (1-yr) · Pick range: UDFA · ~0% guaranteed
UDFA 1-yr deal: $840K base + ~$10K-$25K signing bonus
Contract band uses the 2026 NFL CBA rookie wage scale projected from the prospect's expected pick range; guarantee % is the slot-default at that pick. Landing-spot best/worst case is derived from TEAMS data (positional needs + scheme overlap minus same-position R1 conflicts) — not a claim that either team has expressed interest.
Versatility, Limits & Roster Pathway
Biggest Limiting Trait MED
Sub-6-1 QB height — Pocket-passer sight-lines over OL are the scout flag; mobile-QB scheme fit becomes mandatory.
Day-3 NFL Roster Pathway
Day 3 QB projection means the practice squad is the realistic Year 1 destination unless an injury opens a QB3 spot late in camp.
Derived from height/weight against the 2026 position cohort and the prospect's projected round. Versatility callouts identify alternate alignments NFL teams have historically used for similar size profiles. Limiting-trait notes flag the single most-cited measurable concern; severity reflects how often that flag ends a Day 1 starter projection. Roster-pathway notes describe the realistic Year 1 NFL role for Day 3 picks.
By the Numbers — 2026 Class Context
- Frame: Among 2026 QB prospects, his 5-11 / 200 lbs frame sits at the 7th percentile in height and 13th percentile in weight.
- Position class: Diego Pavia is QB #23 of 30 ranked QBs in the 2026 class. Of those, 15 are projected in the R7/UDFA range.
Computed factually from the 2026 prospect class roster — height/weight percentiles benchmark this player against every other ranked prospect at the same position. Recruiting arc compares his high-school 247Sports/Rivals composite to his current projected round.
Diego Pavia’s NFL Archetype: Bryce Young
Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers)
Closest QB physical profile in the modern NFL: 5-11/200 lbs. Same frame, same role bucket — NOT a talent or career-arc projection.
Note: this is a physical-profile match — frame, position, role bucket. Not a talent or career-arc projection.
Similar Quarterback Prospects
Closest matches to Diego Pavia (5-11 / 200 lbs, #23 QB) by ranking proximity and physical profile. SIZE MATCH = within 1″ height and 10 lbs; TIER MATCH = within 2 ranking spots.
- Tommy CastellanosTIER MATCH Florida State · 5-9/200 lbs · #24 QB · UDFA
- Jalon Daniels Kansas · 6-0/215 lbs · #19 QB · R7-UDFA
- Jake RetzlaffTIER MATCH Tulane · 6-2/210 lbs · #25 QB · UDFA
- Jacolby Criswell Louisville · 6-1/210 lbs · #18 QB · UDFA
- Luke Altmyer Illinois · 6-1/205 lbs · #17 QB · R7-UDFA
Vanderbilt & The 2026 Class
Other UDFA prospects in the 2026 class
Different positions, same projected draft tier as Diego Pavia.
- Robert Henry Jr. · RB · UTSA
- Jalen McMillan · WR · Louisville
- Jalen Nailor · WR · Michigan State
- Jaren Kanak · TE · Oklahoma
- Garrett DiGiorgio · IOL · UCLA
- Dillon Wade · IOL · Auburn