Billy Heyen
Diego Pavia made himself a college football superstar by leading an incredible turnaround at Vanderbilt.
That doesn’t necessarily translate into a high NFL Draft slot for the Vandy QB, though.
It was no surprise that Pavia wasn’t drafted in Thursday night’s first round. And it would be a bit of a surprise if he went in Friday’s second or third rounds, too.
Pavia is one of those guys whose college production and swagger doesn’t automatically lead to the NFL.
For those who watched Pavia make magic happen at the NCAA level, it’s a bit of a bummer.
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It’s not just about his height, but that doesn’t help Pavia.
He measured just 5-foot-9 and 7/8 at the Senior Bowl.
For reference, Panthers QB Bryce Young measured 5 feet, 10 inches and one-eighth of an inch at the NFL Combine.
Kyler Murray is also listed at 5-foot-10.
Russell Wilson is 5-foot-11. Drew Brees played in the NFL listed at 6-feet even.
The shortest QBs ever in the NFL appear to be Eddie LeBaron and Davey O’Brien, who were both 5-foot-7 and played a long, long time ago.
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Pavia’s swagger and moxie can’t make up for all of that.
He’s also one of those guys with good but not great arm talent, and serious toughness that allowed his mobility to play up at the college level.
Pavia could make plays in the NFL, too. But he’s loud and has risk, and that will mean he doesn’t get picked too early, particularly because he’s short.
Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. His sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
