Diego Pavia is declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft after a legendary season. He’s projected as a sixth- or seventh-round pick at best despite his Heisman-worthy heroics. But Pavia isn’t walking into this next chapter alone. He’s got Johnny Manziel in his corner. And Manziel is making sure that Pavia doesn’t repeat the same costly mistakes that derailed his career.

“As you move into this next step, and you walk into that locker room for the first time, I’ll tell you one thing. I promise you, those don’t give a what you did,” Manziel told Pavia on his podcast. “They’re going to know that you’re confident and know who you are, and they’re going to give you an opportunity to start from scratch. A way that I went wrong was that I didn’t temper my expectations in certain things. I had Super Bowl aspirations when I couldn’t get into a meeting on time. You see the disconnect of like what that is?”

“I wish I had a better goal, like being prepared ultimately for my first start, win my first NFL game, because some guys do, some guys don’t,” Manziel continued. “And if you do the things we spoke about and you look at the guys who have won Super Bowls and study what they’ve done, they give you the blueprint. The blueprint to greatness is there. It’s there in Tom Brady. It’s there in Joe Montana. So, nobody’s going to care. Everybody’s going to give you a fair shot. And keep that confidence internally, but you voiced it a ton.”

What happened to Johnny Manziel in the NFL serves as the perfect cautionary tale for why he’s so invested in Diego Pavia’s future. The Browns drafted Manziel 22nd overall in 2014. But the transition to professional football exposed every character flaw that scouts had worried about during the draft process. 

Multiple Browns sources revealed that Manziel showed a “yearlong pattern” of lacking commitment and preparation. He was committed to nightlife instead of film study, partying instead of learning the playbook. That’s the wreckage Manziel is trying to prevent Pavia from creating in his own locker room.

The challenge for Pavia is his confidence. The same swagger that helped him go from paying his own way at a junior college to becoming a Heisman finalist might need recalibrating for the NFL environment. Pavia has built his entire identity around being his own cheerleader, the underdog who talks boldly and backs it up on the field. 

Manziel wants Pavia to keep that confidence internally instead of voicing it constantly. Because NFL veterans won’t care about his college accolades. Pavia, in his last two seasons with Vanderbilt, has raised his NFL stock. ESPN’s Mel Kiper named him as the seventh QB prospect in the NFL Draft, while the dual-threat QB is still projected as a sixth-round pick. Although Pavia looks to improve his stakes in the 2026 Senior Bowl and through the agency, falling short in the Heisman race still stings him.

Diego Pavia admits costly Heisman mistake

Diego Pavia believes that the Heisman Trophy would have boosted his NFL profile. He takes the blame for making the mistake and losing his competitive spirit. It was his biggest dream, but losing it after coming so close hurts him every day.

“I think it was like a competitive spirit thing. I wanted something so bad, something that I dreamed of since I was a kid. And obviously, it wasn’t the right move. Obviously, I made the mistake. I apologize for it. It just came out of something that was just deep, and I wanted it for so many years, and it was just hard on me. It felt like I’ve lost almost like a brother or something; it’s hard for someone not in my shoes to understand. Obviously, we all want to accomplish our dreams. And falling so short is just so heartbreaking, and it was just difficult on me.”

Pavia, this past season, gave his best, leading Vanderbilt to a 10-3 season. He threw for 3,539 yards for 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions, completing 70.6% of his passes. He also rushed for 862 yards on 167 carries and added 10 rushing touchdowns. He had the most productive seasons in the Commodores’ history, which earned him 1,435 points and 189 first-place votes, yet he wasn’t able to match the Heisman winner, Fernando Mendoza, who received 643 first-place votes and 2,362 total points.

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