For some, the NFL Draft wasn’t all smiles and glory.
Diego Pavia became the first Heisman finalist in 12 years to not be selected in the NFL Draft, making him an undrafted free agent.
Pavia even had a draft party, with hats from all potential suitors.
The setup for Diego Pavia’s draft party. We will see where the Vanderbilt QB goes. @WKRN pic.twitter.com/66iMsshgYC
— Julian Mininsohn (@JMininsohn) April 25, 2026
Pavia’s villain arc rose to national prominence during the 2025 college football season, and he drew a lot of online haters.
They celebrated last night:
Diego Pavia’s next Draft Day party setup. 💀🤣 pic.twitter.com/i900iqAeiM
— TPS (@TotalProSports) April 26, 2026
🚨In the NFL draft today:
-A man who’s never played football before… got drafted
-A Heisman finalist 3 months ago… went un-drafted pic.twitter.com/ZmlZcgX1ti— Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) April 26, 2026
Diego Pavia waiting for the 8th round to start pic.twitter.com/Fd87nRgTuk
— CHANNEL TN (@CHANNEL_TN_) April 25, 2026
Diego Pavia after going undrafted: pic.twitter.com/LF5oUQXdvw
— Hemohctane (@hemohctane) April 25, 2026
The fact that Joey Aguilar has already signed an UDFA contract means that NFL front offices view him as better than Diego Pavia. It’s amazing what not being a complete punk can do for you
— ً (@ClasslessVol) April 26, 2026
“Diego Pavia here!”
“You might remember me from finishing 2nd in the Heisman Trophy voting last year…”
“Now I’m ready to finish putting YOU in a new Chevy Tahoe at Pavia Chevrolet right here in Albuquerque!!” pic.twitter.com/ckjvGlOzXm
— College Sports Only (@CSOonX) April 25, 2026
where will Diego Pavia end up? pic.twitter.com/9vv1PEOR4T
— Hard Rock Bet (@HardRockBet) April 26, 2026
Some did come to Pavia’s defense, but the messages of support were few and far between.
Diego Pavia was better than Ty Simpson this year but the world isn’t ready for that conversation.
— Breiden Fehoko (@BreidenFehoko) April 25, 2026
These players all went undrafted:
– Kurt Warner
– Wes Welker
– Warren Moon
– Tony Romo
– Antonio Gates
– Rod Smith
– James Harrison
– Adam Vinatieri
– Chris Harris
– Adam ThielenThe dream is not over yet pic.twitter.com/ia4hD6iuwN
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) April 25, 2026
Pavia threw for 3,589 yards, 29 touchdowns with 8 interceptions, and an 87.3 QBR. He finished second in Heisman voting with 189 first-place votes.
After all that, his path to an NFL roster grows increasingly unlikely.
Is Pavia’s NFL journey over, or will he be able to prove his worth and crack a roster before next season?
