This is not the quarterback depth move you’re looking for
Someone floated the idea that the Lions should bring in Diego Pavia before training camp opens next week. Former Vanderbilt quarterback, Heisman Trophy finalist, exciting college player with dual-threat ability and a ton of buzz. USA Today’s Nick Brinkerhoff made the case that Detroit needs more insurance behind Jared Goff, and Pavia could be that guy.
I get why it sounds appealing on the surface. I really do.
But there is no fit here. None.
The personality does not fit the culture
Dan Campbell has built something real in Allen Park. It is confident, tough, and full of guys who believe in themselves without losing sight of the team. Pavia’s public persona during the Heisman process and leading up to the draft crossed a line for a lot of evaluators. It did not read as belief, it read as delusion. That had a lot to do with why he went undrafted. Teams did not want that kind of energy in their building.
This is not a personality that aligns with what Campbell and Brad Holmes have spent years constructing.
The physical profile is a real problem
Pavia is listed at 5-foot-10, and that number is probably generous. Kyler Murray has made it work at a similar height, so being short is not an automatic disqualifier. But Pavia is very small. He feels more like a UFL quarterback than an NFL one. The Baltimore Ravens just waived him before training camp. They did not see it either.
Maybe I am wrong. Maybe one day I will eat these words. But Pavia is not an NFL quarterback. He is a great college quarterback, and there is nothing wrong with that. He will find a way to play spring football, he will get more chances on practice squads, and he will have his time around the league.
But that does not make him a fit in Detroit.
The scheme mismatch is the biggest issue
Everything about this offense is built around Goff operating from the pocket, getting the ball out on time, and keeping the offense on schedule. Drew Petzing wants timing, timing, timing. If Goff were to miss time, the Lions have Teddy Bridgewater and Luke Altmyer to provide essentially the same thing. That is by design.
Pavia is at his best when he is creating outside of structure, using his legs, and turning broken plays into big ones. That is exciting football. It is fun to watch in the college game. But it does not line up with what Petzing is building. Pavia is not bringing the kind of skill set this offense is designed around, and no amount of athletic traits changes that reality.
I doubt the Lions have Pavia on their radar, and I definitely do not believe they should. This suggestion looks appealing from the outside, but once you look at the personality, the physical profile, and the scheme fit, it falls apart fast.
Do you think Pavia has any kind of NFL future or is this just spring league wishcasting? Drop your take below.
This is exactly why I trust Campbell and Holmes to do the right thing. They’re not gonna waste time on a square peg for a round hole just because the guy had some college hype. The scheme fit matters way more than raw talent and it sounds like Pavia just doesn’t work here.
I mean I get the article’s points about the height and the personality stuff, but I’m not ready to count Pavia out completely just yet. Sometimes these young guys surprise you once they get humbled a little bit. That said, yeah, probably not our move right now.
We’ve come a long way from those days when we’d grab any name that sounded exciting and pray it worked out. Campbell and Holmes actually have a plan for what they want and they’re not gonna deviate from it for a shiny toy. That’s real leadership right there.