Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was scheduled to make a pre-draft visit to the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Whether or not Pavia actually gets drafted, of course, remains unclear.<\/p>\n
But Carolina would seem to make as logical a landing place as any.<\/p>\n
Pavia\u2019s visit with the Panthers, initially reported by NFL.com<\/a>, is believed to be the only visit so far for the former Commodores signal caller.<\/p>\n On one hand, that\u2019s hard to believe, considering Pavia finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting and was named the SEC offensive player of the year in 2025.<\/p>\n He completed 74 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns versus eight interceptions \u2014 while running 167 times for 862 yards and 10 touchdowns.<\/p>\n What NFL team wouldn\u2019t want some of that?<\/p>\n The primary problem is that Pavia stands just 5-10, so short compared to his peers that \u2014 if Pavia ever started an NFL game \u2014 he would be tied for the shortest<\/a>\u00a0quarterback since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.<\/p>\n The only other 5-10 QB starters currently playing in the NFL are Minnesota\u2019s Kyler Murray and Carolina\u2019s Bryce Young.<\/p>\n That\u2019s where the Carolina connection starts to make sense.<\/p>\n The Panthers have seen Young, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick, put together some decent numbers despite his lack of size. In 2025, the former Alabama star threw for 3,539 yards and 23 touchdowns versus 11 interceptions, posting an 8-8 record as a starter.<\/p>\n So if Young has succeeded to some degree, maybe it\u2019s worth taking a chance on Pavia.<\/p>\n The only other quarterback on Carolina\u2019s roster is Kenny Pickett, who is listed as 6-3.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no guarantee, however, that any team will draft Pavia.<\/p>\n In addition to his stature, Pavia is already 24 years old, lacks NFL-esque arm strength and has raised some concerns with his off-field behavior.<\/p>\n ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller, for instance, recently completed a seven-round mock draft, and it didn\u2019t include Pavia among his 257 selections.<\/p>\n But Pavia, who has never lacked for confidence, believes he will hear his name called later this month.<\/p>\n