The NFL world is currently gathered in Mobile, Alabama for the Panini Senior Bowl which has become one of the premier events in the lead up to the NFL Draft. The Senior Bowl can make or break a prospects draft stock as they compete against their peers in front of a massive crowd of NFL executives.
One of the players everyone was the most excited to see was Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. After leading the Commodores to an incredible turnaround, many have wondered when Pavia may be drafted, and if he could ever start at quarterback in the NFL.
Todd McShay declares Diego Pavia can't play in the NFL
When Diego Pavia arrived in Mobile, his draft stock instantly took a hit as it was revealed he was 5-foot-9 while Vanderbilt listed him at 6-foot. Scouts and evaluators already knew Pavia was undersized, but seeing just how undersized he is will ding him even more compared to the other quarterbacks with NFL frames.
After watching the first two days of practice at the Senior Bowl, Todd McShay revealed where he stands on Diego Pavia on his podcast "The McShay Show". After watching Diego Pavia throw the ball up close, Todd McShay had major concerns about Pavia's ability.
"I don't think that Diego Pavia can play quarterback in the NFL. You watch him during team sessions, and you watch him during some of the 7-on-7 stuff, and there's some fun things to watch... but, when you watch him have to drive the ball, NFL throws, it's not the same as the other guys."Todd McShay
In the end for Todd McShay like it will be for most NFL teams, the sentiment is that Diego Pavia may not have the overall physical tools to make it in the NFL.
"I'm saying when you watch him out there, you start to wonder are the limitations going to be too much at the next level."Todd McShay
While we often look for the quarterback that will break the mold and show that the height doesn't matter as much as scouts make it out to be. Recent history has shown us that it does matter as quarterbacks who were elite in college football like Bryce Young and Kyler Murray haven't translated as much as everyone thought they could.
Diego Pavia is still an impressive athlete with rushing ability and a clear leadership factor that allowed him to turn around Vanderbilt. At the end of the day, Pavia was already going to face an uphill battle as a projected Day 3 pick, but when you compare him to the other quarterbacks in this class, he's going to have a tough time finding a real fit in this draft.