Jon Gruden seems to be entirely on Diego Pavia’s corner as we head into the 2026 NFL Draft. In X, he recently shared a photo of himself with the Vanderbilt quarterback and 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist, as he participated in a Gruden-led QB show.
To the photo, he added the following caption:
“Wrapped up our first QB Class show of the year today with Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia! This kid is a true grinder and will shock a lot of people! Stay tuned!!,” wrote Gruden on X
But what caught the public’s eye was the height difference, or lack thereof, between Jon Gruden and Diego Pavia. Fans lost no time joking about it on X.
“Gruden is taller than him 😭,” joked someone
“0% chance Pavia is 6’0,” said another fan, mocking Pavia’s listed height on ESPN
A group of fans just don’t believe he’s NFL material.
“Disagree. His overall attitude and just his face in general will make his teammates resent him. They may go along with his BS but deep down qbs like that are just cancers to a team,” explained another person
Height jokes were extremely common.
“Damn coach! I didn’t realize you too were almost short enough to be classified! Lol. Joking, funny how every pic looks taller than his combined height,” said another fan
And also, there was genuine worry about his ability to play in the NFL.
“How will he see over the line? He’s gonna have to roll out of the pocket 80% of the time,” wrote one person
Some fans did echo Gruden’s message of support for Pavia.
“Diego Pavia will go to the Super Bowl when he gets to the NFL. Stay tuned casuals. 💯,” claimed a Diego Pavia fan
“He’s actually got a better arm than Mendoza and played with a lot less talent. Kinda reminds me of a Jeff Garcia type.👍🏻,” said one individual
What’s Diego Pavia’s Draft Stock?
Diego Pavia’s stock has plummeted following the NFL Combine. While he was initially considered a four to fifth-round pick, he’s now considered a fringe seventh-round pick. This, despite him being a finalist for the Heisman Trophy last season and one of the best statistical quarterbacks in the SEC.
And this is not even due to a poor performance in the Combine, with his performance in the event being rather good. It has all to do with his PR gaffes throughout the 2025 college football season, and in particular, his reaction to losing the Heisman Trophy to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
Pavia is no stranger to being underrated, as he was a zero-star recruit coming into college football.
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