Diego Pavia's NFL Draft rejection tied to size? Former Pro Bowl quarterback explains harsh reality

Diego Pavia's NFL Draft rejection tied to size? Former Pro Bowl quarterback explains harsh reality originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

Diego Pavia's NFL Draft rejection explained by former Pro Bowl quarterback After Diego Pavia led Vanderbilt to the program's first 10-win season last year, many figured he would be taken in the 2026 NFL Draft. As fate would have it, the SEC's leading passer was on the outside looking in after all 257 names were announced in Pittsburgh on Saturday night. What makes the situation even more bizarre is Pavia has yet to sign a free agent deal with an NFL team.

This is a rare situation for a quarterback with such an accomplished resume. No Heisman finalist has gone undrafted over the past 12 years, putting his chances of actually getting into the league nearly 24 hours later very slim. Why wasn't Pavia worthy of being an NFL Draft pick?

The answer is complex and likely on a case-by-case basis for all 32 NFL teams. Most of them didn't need a quarterback and saw the Vandy standout as a distraction due to his "day one starter" mentality. One former quarterback saw Pavia's situation a little differently and explained the thought process of NFL evaluators and why he was likely passed on.