2026 NFL Draft: Adam Schefter shares latest Diego Pavia intel

ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided the latest NFL Draft intel on Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia Monday. With the draft just days away, Pavia’s draft stock is a bit of a mystery.

He performed well at Vandy, leading the program to new heights under head coach Clark Lea. But most draft experts, such as Mel Kiper Jr., have Pavia near the bottom of the QB class in 2026.

Still, the dual threat signal caller had some visits and Schefter expects Pavia’s name to be called this week. What round that is, is anyone’s guess right now.

“One of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s strongest traits is his confidence,” Schefter wrote in his column. “He says he believes his skills rival any QB in this draft, and that teams are making a mistake going off potential and measurables rather than production and intangibles. He threw for 3,539 yards, 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season, and he also rushed for 862 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“Some teams are taking a closer look. The Panthers recently had Pavia in for a visit, and others are doing their own work on him. Expect his name to be called this weekend, allowing him to set out to prove he can win wherever he plays.”

While Pavia didn’t win the Heisman Trophy, despite being a finalist he mentioned how much that award would’ve meant to him, Especially when it came to getting one like his friend and mentor Johnny Manziel. It’s a moment Pavia dreamt about since watching Manziel win the award in 2012, when the Vanderbilt superstar was 10 and living in Albuquerque.

“Dude, that would mean … I can’t even put into words how much that means,” Pavia said on The Pivot. “I still remember Johnny winning it. I used to watch Johnny’s tape, I can tell you front-to-back what (his stats read on screen) when he accepts the award. It was just like, dude, I want that to be me one day. That’s what I was thinking that day. … Now it’s coming full circle and it’s like, I have that opportunity.”

This past season, Pavia threw for 3,539 yards, 29 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 70.6% completion percentage. Other than the picks, all of those numbers were career-highs.

Pavia also ran for 862 yards on the ground and 10 touchdowns. All told, he accounted for 119 touchdowns in college career.