Earlier this year, Diego Pavia cemented himself as one of the hottest senior quarterbacks in college football. He was even a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. However, as the season went on, Vanderbilt failed to make the College Football Playoff and Pavia eventually lost to Fernando Mendoza in the Heisman race.
This led to his draft stock dropping. After the first three rounds, Diego Pavia finds himself still on the board heading into the third and final day of the draft.
A quarterback who finished second in the Heisman race not being drafted is surprising, but why is that? What could have led to his draft stock plummeting?
Here are three possible reasons:
Why Diego Pavia Has Not Been Drafted Yet Despite Coming 2nd in Heisman Race
He Is Considered Too Short
In his profile at Vanderbilt, Diego Pavia was listed as 6 feet tall. However, as he entered the Senior Bowl, it was reported that he is actually much shorter, as he was listed at just 5-9 7/8 inches.
While he proved his critics wrong with his performance at Vanderbilt, many scouts were not impressed by his stature, believing this could be detrimental in the professional circuit.
His Behavior Off the Field
On the field, Diego Pavia helped the Vanderbilt Commodores go from perennial laughing stocks in the SEC to a powerhouse and CFP contender.
However, his behavior off the field, from offering podcaster and comedian Theo Von a chance to go on a date with his mom to urinating on an opposing team’s practice field, does raise a lot of eyebrows.
Lack Of Long-Distance Throwing Ability
Much like Fernando Mendoza, Diego Pavia has shown he can be a dual-threat quarterback. However, while his short and mid-range throws are top-notch, his long-range throwing ability is still not up to par with the NFL, and this could turn many teams off.
Of course, they could still develop this part of his game, but many teams would want to get this out of him as soon as possible.
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