The NFL prioritizes size. But that isn’t something Diego Pavia has any control over. He’s already faced enough embarrassment when all 32 teams decided to snub him at the 2026 NFL Draft. That made him the first Heisman finalist since 2014 to go undrafted. And while he did land on his feet with the Ravens on a three-year UDFA contract, his story only got more fascinating and a bit more brutal with that financial loss.

As Diego Pavia enters the NFL, he does so with a label no QB wants. He’s officially the shortest QB in the modern NFL. His combined measurement of 5’10 ⅛ already raised eyebrows, but his Senior Bowl number dipped even lower. At 5’9 ⅞, he’s the first QB under 5’10 to even sniff a roster since Eddie LeBaron back in 1963.

When compared to modern NFL QBs like Bryce Young and Kyler Murray (both at 5’10 ⅛”), Diego Pavia is in a category of his own. Then there’s Doug Flutie, who followed on the list at 5’10. Next came Russell Wilson, Seneca Wallace, and Stetson Bennett, all standing at 5’11, while Drew Brees rounded off the group at 6’0. 

But height alone shouldn’t define everything else. Take Brees, for instance. Even with his height, he made a Hall of Fame career out of precision and timing, giving his doubters a tough pill to swallow. But with Diego Pavia, there’s a big catch. Every one of those guys had elite traits that forced the league to adjust. But the Ravens’ rookie QB is still trying to prove himself.

Watch his tape, and you’ll see a QB who thrives in chaos. Diego Pavia made a career out of breaking structure and extending plays with his legs. It worked beautifully in college, but in the NFL, structure becomes the system. His 4.76 40-yard record shows he’s not a lightning-fast runner. As for his arm talent, he has short-distance accuracy, as 60% of his throws came within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. But long throws are a concern. 

When Diego Pavia pushed the ball downfield at his pro day, the results were uneven. Three of twelve deep balls were graded as clean hits, but the rest flew wild. Still, snubbing him from the draft makes you raise your eyebrows because of how tough his journey had been. He turned down a wrestling scholarship to bet on himself at a junior college. Then he went to New Mexico State, flipped a program, beat Auburn, and made winning feel normal. 

After that, he went to Vanderbilt and flipped the narrative of being the easiest program to beat in the SEC. He even beat Alabama and shocked the nation. Last season, he led the school to its first season with 10 wins, putting up 3,539 passing yards, 862 rushing yards, and 39 total touchdowns. And yet… he became a UDFA. And even when the Ravens signed him, the story takes a turn that’s almost as jarring as the draft snub itself.

Diego Pavia goes from college millionaire to NFL reality check

While Diego Pavia finally got his NFL shot, it came with a financial hit. At Vanderbilt, he was reportedly pulling in close to $2.5 million in NIL earnings. Fast forward to the NFL, and his projected rookie salary sits between $885,000 and just over $1 million. That’s roughly a $1 million pay cut overnight. Still, that’s better than not landing any spots at all. Besides, UDFA deals can grow.

Priority signings often come with guarantees in the $250K-$300K range. Long-term, the NFL still offers a higher ceiling than anything CFB can offer. The United Football League (UFL), for example, would’ve paid him just around $64,000. So while this doesn’t look like a dream leap, it’s still the right move. 

The Ravens didn’t draft him, but they made sure nobody else got him either. Despite all the so-called shortcomings and controversies, Diego Pavia could become a steal, for all we know.