Could Diego Pavia bring the kind of swagger the rebuilding Jets needs? Carly Mackler / Getty Images Putting together NFL mock drafts is fairly linear. Teams have needs and slots to fill with players available in those areas. What’s better — and perhaps more challenging — is finding the right fit no matter the slot or round. In this exercise, NFL Draft senior writer Nick Baumgardner and college football writer Scott Dochterman try to marry a prospect’s fit with team needs and styles of play. Although the majority of players are likely first-round selections, a few won’t be. Sometimes, the best draft picks come on Days 2 or 3. Nobody said these selections have to involve first-rounders — or even fourth-rounders. Such is the case with, well, making the case for Pavia, who isn’t going to be for everyone (or even most teams). For the Jets? Sure, maybe Pavia is rambunctious and immature and stands 5 feet 10 inches tall with the shortest arms of any quarterback at this year’s combine. For every reason he doesn’t make sense, though, you can’t deny how he impacts his teammates and the players around him. He was the SEC’s player of the year and Heisman Trophy runner-up, while guiding Vanderbilt to its first 10-win season, passing for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns and…
Published: April 2, 2026 11:53 am
Source: The New York Times — Read original