Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia landed his first NFL contract, as CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reports that the Baltimore Ravens will sign Pavia to a deal before rookie minicamp. ESPN reports it's a three-year deal.
Undrafted players typically sign three-year contracts. Pavia was initially invited to the Ravens' rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, but general manager Eric DeCosta decided to sign the former SEC star before he hit the field. Baltimore also added former Connecticut quarterback Joe Fagnano this week.
Pavia became the first Heisman Trophy finalist to go undrafted since 2014. Despite his decorated career at Vanderbilt, Pavia was listed as CBS Sports' No. 377 overall prospect, and No. 18 quarterback in this class.
Pavia, the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm winner, led the Commodores to their first 10-win season in school history. He set single-season school records for passing yards (3,539) and passing touchdowns (29) while registering 338.5 yards of total offense per game, which ranked second in the FBS. Despite this, Pavia had a few things working against him during the draft process.
While Vanderbilt officially listed Pavia at 6-foot, he measured in at 5-foot-9 ⅞ inches at the NFL Scouting Combine. That's shorter than any NFL quarterback. Pavia is also 24 years old, as his college career began in 2020. How Pavia handles himself is also polarizing. In an interview with CBS Sports, Pavia said people outside of the locker room often mistake his bravado for arrogance.
Some teams surely love his brash confidence, but others could be put off by it. After finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting to eventual No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza this year, Pavia was seen in a New York club next to a sign that read, "F--- Indiana." He also posted a photo on social media with the caption, "F--- ALL THE VOTERS, BUT ... FAMILY FOR LIFE." Pavia ended up apologizing for the post.
"One thing I would say about Diego — and Clark Lea, the head coach at Vanderbilt, is a really dear, close friend of mine — this guy was a force multiplier at Vanderbilt," Ravens head coach Jesse Minter told NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" on Wednesday when discussing the addition of Pavia, via Pro Football Talk. "He came there at a time when they needed to get it going and Clark was building something. And this guy made everybody in the building better. He's one of the first people in, he's one of the last to leave. He's a really hard worker.
"We'll certainly have some talks about maybe how to handle certain things a little bit better. But, again, any rookie undrafted free agent — come in and work. Let what you do on the field and by your actions show who you really are. We'll let him come in with a little bit of a clean slate and just give him a platform, along with the rest of the guys coming in, give them a platform to see what they can do."
Pavia is used to being overlooked, and he will attempt to make his mark on this new-look Ravens team led by Jesse Minter. Baltimore is a solid potential landing spot for Pavia. Not only could he learn from two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, but the Ravens currently have just two quarterbacks on the roster in Jackson and Tyler Huntley. With that being said, Pavia does have his work cut out for him.
