The New York Jets are going to be linked to just about every quarterback option imaginable this offseason, even if fans love them or not.
The latest one to be named isn’t one of the top prospects or a projected early-round pick. Instead, it’s a development name that most Jets fans would want nothing to do with.
Michael Nania of Jets X-Factor recently linked the Jets to former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who college football fans either loved or hated.
Despite his production, Nania made it known, and fairly, that Pavia is far from a perfect option for the Jets.
“Despite his gaudy production, Pavia is not a touted prospect due to multiple red flags. First and foremost, he is very undersized at six feet and 200 pounds, which will almost always send a quarterback flying down the draft board. Pavia is also believed to have underdeveloped skills as a processor from the pocket.
“As someone who played six years of college football and will already be 25 years old when the draft arrives, there are concerns about how much room Pavia has for development, especially due to the limitations of his frame. It also concerning that he did not truly break out until he was 24, when he had significant advantages in experience and athleticism over his peers,” he wrote.
On one hand, Pavia brings toughness and swagger to him that could work in New York. He plays with an edge and that could be something the Jets are interested in.
On the other hand, the opposite could be said about some of his swagger, and he’s also very small.
Size has always been one of the hardest limitations for quarterbacks to overcome. At this point, I want the Jets to take a 6-foot-4 quarterback and live with the results.
The age factor also complicates things more than some would think. At 25 years old, teams are evaluating what he already is, not what he might become.
However, until the organization finds a true franchise quarterback, whether that’s in 2027 or beyond, taking a small swing on someone like Pavia wouldn’t be the worst idea, if it were as an undrafted free agent or late-round pick.