Diego Pavia is hoping to reach the highest level of professional football in 2026, but will his height hold him back?
The Vanderbilt quarterback shined for the Commodores last season, leading the group to the first 10-win season in program history. Pavia dazzled on Saturdays in the fall and finished as the runner-up to Fernando Mendoza for the Heisman Trophy as Vanderbilt challenged for a spot in the 2025-26 College Football Playoff.
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While the college star proved capable of measuring up against the competition, NFL teams will likely care more about the number that the measuring tape reveals at the scouting combine.
Vanderbilt officially listed the quarterback at 6-0, but measurements at the Senior Bowl came away with Pavia standing at about 5-9 7/8 inches. That measurement would make Pavia the shortest among current NFL starting quarterbacks, but not in NFL history.
For Pavia, passing the height test might be one of the bigger hurdles he faces in the pre-draft process. Here’s a look at the measurements for Pavia at the NFL combine, as well as his NFL draft projection.
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl
1. New York Jets – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl
1. New York Jets – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl
2. New York Jets – Arvell Reese, LB/DE, Ohio State
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl
3. Arizona Cardinals – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (Fla.)
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl
4. Tennessee Titans – Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami (Fla.)
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl
5. New York Giants – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl
6. Cleveland Browns – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
7. Washington Commanders – David Bailey, DE/OLB, Texas Tech
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
8. New Orleans Saints – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
9. Kansas City Chiefs – Makai Lemon, WR, USC
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
10. Cincinnati Bengals – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
11. Miami Dolphins – Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
12. Dallas Cowboys – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) – Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl
14. Baltimore Ravens – Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts) – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
17. Detroit Lions – Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl
18. Minnesota Vikings – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl
19. Carolina Panthers – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl
20. Dallas Cowboys (from Green Bay Packers) – Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
21. Pittsburgh Steelers – KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl
22. Los Angeles Chargers – Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
23. Philadelphia Eagles – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
24. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars) – Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
25. Chicago Bears – T.J. Parker, DE, Clemson
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
26. Buffalo Bills – Akheem Mesidor, DE, Miami (Fla.)
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
27. San Francisco 49ers – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl
28. Houston Texans – Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl
29. Los Angeles Rams – Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
30. Denver Broncos – CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
31. New England Patriots – Cashius Howell, OLB, Texas A&M
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NFL mock draft: First-round projection going into the scouting combine
32. Seattle Seahawks – Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
Diego Pavia NFL combine measurements
This section will be updated.
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How tall is Diego Pavia?
This section will be updated.
Diego Pavia NFL draft projection
Pavia is ranked as the ninth-best quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft class, according to USA TODAY Sports’ Ayrton Ostly.
The former Vanderbilt star will undoubtedly be a popular name throughout draft week, especially after entering the Heisman Trophy race in 2025, finishing as the runner-up. It came on the heels of a breakout season that saw him complete 70.6% of passes, totaling 29 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He also wasn’t shy on the ground, tacking on 862 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
Pavia earned plenty of praise for his ability to make plays off-schedule, producing highlight reel moments. However, questions remain about his size and whether he has enough athleticism to make up for it.
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There is no denying his competitive spirit, moxie and what he did to help turn the Commodores into a winning program, but it remains to be seen how those skills would translate against better competition at the NFL level.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diego Pavia height, combine measurements: How tall is Vanderbilt QB?