Ex-college football star Diego Pavia hit with 'brutal reality' during NFL Draft, sportscaster says

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Sportscaster Dan Patrick said Monday that Heisman Trophy finalist Diego Pavia was handed a "brutal reality" over the weekend when he went undrafted and received only an invite to Baltimore Ravens camp.

Pavia was the first Heisman Trophy finalist in more than 10 years to go unselected in the NFLNFL Draft.

Patrick claimed on his show that it was a "really clear" message from the NFL.

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Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia throws the ball during football pro day at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on March 20, 2026. (ANDREW NELLES / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

"Diego Pavia was a Heisman Trophy finalist who did not get drafted. Now, there’s a few reasons why. He was very, very good in the SEC – that should stand out and that should make you draft eligible. You should get drafted just based off what you did. You did it for Vandy in the SEC. You can have personality at other positions. You can be absorbed, you can be embraced, but not at backup quarterback because quarterback is evaluated differently. You can be an elite talent and get away with that.

"The message from the NFL was really clear – if you're not a can’t-miss prospect, professionalism is not just valued, it’s required, and that hurt Diego Pavia. Also, that he’s not a tall guy. Most of your backup quarterbacks, if you check, are not short quarterbacks. Diego Pavia might be 5-10, but you start to look at what you did at pre-draft meetings with teams. … You have (Tim) Tebow, Cam Newton, (Colin) Kaepernick, other examples of your backup quarterback being too much of a headline, or potential for a headline."

Patrick pointed to Pavia’s