Although Diego Pavia’s Senior Bowl experience might have come up a bit short of expectations, he showed why it still may be worth taking a flier on him in the NFL draft.
Pavia, who made headlines this week after measuring in just under 5-10 despite being listed at 6-feet tall on his Vanderbilt player page, played well for the National team in what ended up being a 17-9 loss.
Though the National offense didn’t score with Pavia at the helm, he completed 10 of his 13 pass attempts for 78 yards and ultimately looked like one of the more effective signal callers over the course of the game. A highlight was on his first play, when he evaded a pass rusher rolling right and hit his receiver while on the run for a first down.
Pavia was trying to back up his words in defense of his height this week on the field.
“I have the heart of a lion,” he told media after his height was unveiled, per Crissy Froyd. “I feel like I’m a great teammate. I have fast feet, I’m mobile in the pocket and can make plays. I can improvise. I feel like I bring quite literally everything to the table but height.”
Here’s how Pavia fared in his Senior Bowl outing:
Diego Pavia Senior Bowl stats
Pavia completed 10 of his 13 pass attempts for 78 yards and did not have touchdowns or interceptions. He also, bizarrely, notched a forced fumble in the stat sheet after his offense lost a fumble earlier in the play.