Entering the offseason program, one Baltimore Ravens competition that was worth keeping an eye on was the QB3 battle. It pinned the trio of Skyler Thompson, Joe Fagnano, and Diego Pavia against each other. Following the conclusion of minicamp, it sounds like the Pavia hype is losing steam.
Pavia got a lot of attention coming out of Vanderbilt. He was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2025 and put together a very strong collegiate career, tallying 119 touchdowns across 53 games. Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like that’s translating to the NFL level.
According to Clifton Brown on BaltimoreRavens.com, Thompson has been the big winner in that QB3 race. He mentioned that Pavia (and Fagnano) haven’t really been able to hold a candle to Thompson’s performance.
"“During open practices, I haven't seen Pavia or Fagnano outshine Thompson, who has played in 11 NFL games, including a playoff start with the Miami Dolphins in Jan. 2023. Thompson made one of the most impressive throws of minicamp when he ripped a long pass to the sideline to Dayton Wade, which earned Thompson some kudos from Jackson.”"Clifton Brown
That’s a harsh reality for Pavia.
Diego Pavia might be out of luck in Baltimore Ravens’ QB3 battle
Diego Pavia was already in an extremely tough situation. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by a team that already had a clear-cut QB1 and QB2. It initially looked like he had a decent shot at capturing the QB3, and while that would’ve been a spot on the practice squad, at least it’s an NFL opportunity, right? Well, not anymore. At least, that’s how it’s looking right now.
Clifton Brown mentions in his piece that more reps for those duking it out for the QB3 spot will be on the table come training camp. That’s good news for Pavia. The bad news still remains, though. He’s going to have to run down an experienced quarterback in Thompson, who’s been in the NFL since 2022. Simply put, he needs to rally with an absolute miracle of a performance in the coming months to even have a fighter’s chance at dethroning Thompson.
And it doesn’t get much better for Pavia in the undrafted battle with Joe Fagnano. Neither has really separated from the other, but some reports have noted that Fagnano has looked better on occasions. In addition, Fagnano possesses prototypical size and ability for a quarterback, standing 6-foot-3 with strong mechanics. As for Pavia, he stands at just 5-foot-9, and his mechanics have been consistently questioned.
However, what Pavia might lack in measurables and fundamentals, he makes up for in passion and leadership on the field. He brings the type of fire that the Ravens love to have in their locker room. If he wants any chance of making the practice squad and beating out Thompson and Fagnano, he needs to convert mentality into production on the field. We'll see what we can do come time for training camp.
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