Ravens Waive QB Diego Pavia to Make Room for C Ethan Pocic
Ravens Cut Diego Pavia Loose Before Training Camp
The Baltimore Ravens waived quarterback Diego Pavia on Thursday, clearing a roster spot to sign veteran center Ethan Pocic ahead of training camp.
Pavia, 24, had signed a three-year deal with Baltimore after going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft -- a notable outcome given he was the runner-up in Heisman Trophy voting and the first Vanderbilt player ever to reach that stage. He attended the Ravens rookie minicamp in May and competed for the No. 3 quarterback spot during spring practices.
The roster math was always going to be tough. With Lamar Jackson locked in as the starter and Tyler Huntley back as the experienced backup, Baltimore may carry just two quarterbacks on the final 53-man roster. Pavia was competing against veteran Skylar Thompson and undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano (Connecticut) for what was already a long-shot spot.
One factor working in Pavia's favor was head coach Jesse Minter's connection to Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea, who hired Minter as his defensive coordinator in 2021. Minter coached Pavia indirectly through that relationship. Even so, it was not enough to keep him around.
Why Pavia Went Undrafted
Scouts had concerns about Pavia's size (5-foot-10) and attitude coming out of Vanderbilt, even though his production was hard to ignore. He threw or ran for 39 total touchdowns in his final college season and led the SEC with a 70.6 completion percentage. He became the first Heisman finalist to go undrafted since Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch in 2014.
Fantasy Football Takeaway
Pavia has no relevance in redraft leagues. In dynasty formats, he is a dart throw only in the deepest of leagues, and even then the upside is limited. His best realistic path at this stage is latching on as a practice-squad arm somewhere with a stable starter and a coach willing to develop him.
He will look for another opportunity as teams finalize rosters before training camp opens.