One of the biggest stories to emerge after the 2026 NFL draft was the fact that, for the first time since 2014, a draft-eligible Heisman finalist was not selected.
It got worse, when former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia didn’t quickly land a spot on anyone’s incoming class of undrafted free agents — some of which approach 20 members.
Pavia ultimately accepted an invitation to participate in the Ravens’ rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. It gives him an opportunity to do enough to secure a spot on the offseason roster. If he does enough during the weekend session with other rookies and tryout players to land on the 90-man roster, he’ll then get an opportunity to do enough during the balance of the offseason program to stick around.
That could become an opportunity to do enough in training camp and the preseason to win a spot on the 53-man roster or the practice squad.
It’s a steep hill to climb. But Pavia has a chance to show that the scouts who made him not only undraftable but also unsignable got it wrong.
Ultimately, he may have to look for other ways to get live reps. The CFL or the UFL could provide that opportunity.
It will make for a compelling story, if he can pull it off. And it starts with getting a foot in the door. For now, he has one. What happens from here will be up to him.
Diego Pavia is getting a chance to make a positive impression.
Pavia has accepted an invitation to participate in Ravens rookie minicamp next weekend, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Pavia went unrafted out of Vanderbilt and did not receive a contract as a rookie free agent on the open market.
A Heisman Trophy finalist in 2025, Pavia was a four-year starter across two programs, Pavia completed 62.2 percent of his passes in 53 career games for 10,255 yards with 88 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He also rushed for 3,098 yards with 31 TDs.
Listed at 5-foot-10 and 203 pounds, Pavia also has a history of creating controversy, both of which likely contributed to him going undrafted over the weekend.
Ownership has its privileges.
For Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, one of those privileges came in the fifth round of the draft on Saturday. For the first time since he bought the team, Bisciotti made the choice on one of the team’s draft picks.
General Manager Eric DeCosta said in a press conference that selecting former Clemson running back Adam Randall was Bisciotti’s call.
“When we were down in Florida, Steve was begging for a draft pick and he owns the team,” DeCosta said, via the team’s website. “I said, ‘Yes, Steve, of course you can have a draft pick.’ So we decided on our last fifth-round pick. He did his research and studied the tape, talked to people. He has a really good relationship with the Clemson head coach.
Randall ran 168 times for 814 yards and 10 touchdowns while catching 36 passes for 254 yards and three scores as a member of Dabo Swinney’s team in 2025. That caught Bisciotti’s eye, but earning a role in a backfield with Derrick Henry, Justice Hill and Rasheen Ali will be up to Randall.
The Ravens are adding a familiar name to their secondary.
Baltimore is signing undrafted free agent defensive back Lardarius Webb Jr., whose father Lardarius Webb Sr. played his entire nine-year career with the Ravens.
Webb Jr. had a long and winding road in college football. He initially committed to Nebraska out of high school but never played there, instead starting his college career at the junior college level at Jones College. He then went to Oklahoma State, then transferred to South Alabama, then finally transferred to Wake Forest for his final season of college football last year.
Webb Jr. can play both cornerback and safety, and he may help his chances of making the roster by playing special teams as well. Listed at 5-foot-9 and 168 pounds, he does not have prototypical NFL size and he’ll have an uphill battle to make it in Baltimore, but he’ll have plenty of Ravens fans rooting for him to become the second Lardarius Webb roaming their secondary.
Pro Bowler Jordan Stout followed John Harbaugh from the Ravens to the Giants, becoming the NFL’s highest-paid punter. That left the Ravens with a need for a punter.
They selected the best one in the draft, using a sixth-round pick on Michigan State punter Ryan Eckley. He joins Luke Elzinga at the position on the roster.
Eckley was a three-time All-Big Ten selection and the 2025 Big Ten Punter of the Year.
He had a punting average of 47.6 yards per punt in his career, breaking the Big Ten record. He led the conference in punting average in 2024 (47.9) and 2025 (48.5).
Eckley placed 34 percent of his punts inside the 20-yard line (50 of 149), with 27 punts downed inside the 10. He had 67 punts of 50-plus yards.
