Why Diego Pavia Was Passed Over in the 2026 NFL Draft

The chances of securing a place in the NFL Draft are “astronomical” — not our words, but the NFL’s. That’s because, with more than 1 million high school football players, there are only around 300 NFL openings each year, the league states on its website. That said, it’s not hard to calculate just how difficult it is for even the best players to secure their spot in the NFL Draft and then maintain a place in the league.

Even so, it’s still surprising when the top players don’t get picked, like Diego Pavia, who is now recognized as the first Heisman Trophy finalist to go undrafted in the NFL since 2014, per CBS Sports. Pavia was the runner-up to Fernando Mendoza for the 2025 Heisman Trophy. But it’s that, coupled with his stats, that has many folks utterly confused as to why he wasn’t drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft.

But there are actually several factors being pointed to that might help explain why.

It seems Diego Pavia’s stature and age may have impacted his chances of being drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, despite his impressive stats. At the Senior Bowl, Pavia measured 5-foot-9 and ⅞ inches, though he was listed at 5-foot-10 ⅛ at the NFL Combine, and his Vanderbilt bio lists him at 6 feet. With those measurements, it put him basically at the bottom of the barrel in terms of height at the NFL Combine, prompting outlets like CBS Sports to suggest that Pavia “is simply not built for the NFL.”

But what about his actual contributions to Vanderbilt, including helping the team snag win after win after experiencing a streak of non-winning seasons since 2013, as noted by the news outlet? Or the fact that he was a team captain during the 2024 season?

Even the Baltimore Ravens pointed to concerns about Pavia’s height and age in a press release, noting his “advanced age (24) for a rookie.” With that being highlighted, it clearly may have been an issue for a number of teams and a possible reason why he went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft.

But that might not be all. Pavia also displayed concerning behavior following his loss of the 2025 Heisman Trophy to Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza.

After losing the winning place, Pavia took to his Instagram Stories, writing “F-ALL THE VOTERS,” and many believe that may have impacted his chances of getting into the NFL Draft as well. Because instead of him being more supportive of Mendoza and accepting his place as runner-up, his reaction came off more as poor sportsmanship, and teams may have been hesitant to welcome such an attitude in their locker rooms.

Although Pavia was not selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, he reportedly accepted an invitation to the Baltimore Ravens’ rookie minicamp late on April 26, 2026, so his time as a pro player may not be over just yet. The camp is slated to be held May 1-3.