Jesse Minter on Diego Pavia signing with Ravens: 'Show us what you can do'

New Baltimore Ravens coach Jesse Minter didn’t mince words when it came to Diego Pavia and the hype around the Heisman runner up. Pavia went undrafted, perhaps a little surprisingly, but now he’s in prove it mode.

That’s what Minter wants the former Vanderbilt quarterback to do through rookie minicamp, as well as throughout the summer. He’s heard good things from Vandy coach Clark Lea, but this is a different football animal.

“So now he’s in the door, and it’s like, ‘Show us what you can do,’” Minter said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “And just like all the undrafted rookies, that’s what I would say. For us, we see it as an opportunity to bring a player in that could potentially be something, and that’s really what this is for us.”

Undrafted rookies making a final roster are more common these days. But essentially, they have to work twice as hard just to make the roster over players that were selected in the NFL Draft.

“[Pavia has] had some experiences that are learning experiences that he could learn from and be better from. I don’t think anybody would dispute that,” Minter said. “But when you talk to the people inside that building [at Vanderbilt] and what he’s about as a player, he is showing up early every day and working really hard.”

Minter was complimentary of Pavia from what he’s seen so far. Pavia helped put Vanderbilt on a national stage the last two years as they climbed out of the SEC basement and nearly made the College Football Playoff in 2025-26. 

Pavia won the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award after throwing a program-record 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns, to go along with 862 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground last season. A true dual-threat QB, Pavia combined for 13,349 total yards and 119 touchdowns across six collegiate seasons at both Vanderbilt and New Mexico Military, a junior college.

Of course, Pavia wasn’t the only UDFA signing after UConn‘s Joe Fagnano also signed a three-year deal with Baltimore on Tuesday. Fagnano and Pavia join Jackson and long-time backup Tyler Huntley in the Ravens’ quarterback room.

Minter and the Ravens look to hit a bit of a reset button too. With Lamar Jackson back under center, Baltimore will be in contention for the AFC North and beyond. After missing the playoffs in 2025, the Ravens won’t sell any expectations short.