Diego Pavia Receives Honest NFL Outlook From Ravens Coach

No one has ever stopped Diego Pavia from pursuing his dream.

When he was a nobody playing for a military college out in nowhere New Mexico, Pavia believed he could make it to the top of college football.

Years later, he led the Vanderbilt Commodores to arguably their best season in program history, getting the call to New York City to participate in the Heisman Award ceremony.

And now, once again, Pavia is back at rock bottom, as he went unselected at the 2026 NFL Draft and had to sign with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent.

While the likes of Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson are taking promotional shoots for their newly minted NFL jerseys, Pavia is practicing, trying to beat out other QBs to have a chance to make Ravens training camp.

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New Baltimore head coach Jesse Minter gave an honest answer to Pavia’s placement on the team following his first two days in a Ravens uniform.

"Diego, just like a lot of the undrafted free agents, is trying to make his mark,” said Minter. “And honestly, it’s the first two days. So, it’s just so much learning, so much about just kind of getting acclimated to how we operate, getting acclimated, especially to a new offense for a quarterback’s perspective. … And so now he’s in the door, and it’s like, show us what you can do, let the chips fall where they may, and just like all the undrafted rookies, that’s what I would say."

Although possibly a harsh reality check for Pavia, it’s nothing new for the 5-foot-9 signal-caller, who has had to battle questions over his height, mechanics, and overall ability to play since he was a kid.

But, like Minter said, the door is open.

And when coaches have given Pavia an inch in the past, he’s taken those small opportunities and turned them into something special.

We’ll see if he can do the same in Baltimore.

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This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 2:27 PM.