Ravens Add Diego Pavia and Joe Fagnano as UDFA QBs, But This Is Lamar Jackson's Show

Per the team's announcement, the Baltimore Ravens have officially signed Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia out of Vanderbilt and UConn's 45-game starter Joe Fagnano as undrafted free agents, slotting both into a 90-man roster that also includes Lamar Jackson and Snoop Huntley. The two QBs were part of a 19-player UDFA class that arrived in Baltimore ahead of rookie minicamp this weekend.

Pavia is the headliner of the two. His Heisman runner-up finish at Vanderbilt — a program not exactly known for producing NFL quarterbacks — signals real intrigue, but the gap between college production at a mid-tier program and surviving an NFL training camp behind a two-time MVP is enormous. Fagnano brings volume and experience: 45 collegiate starts at UConn give him a foundation in reading defenses, but he enters Baltimore as a long shot to make the 53-man roster in any capacity. Both players are developmental pieces at best, emergency options at worst.

The deeper story here is what this move tells us about Baltimore's confidence in their quarterback depth chart. The Ravens aren't bringing in a veteran bridge option or a proven backup — they're stacking the room with raw developmental talent. Huntley remains the clear QB2, and nothing about this signing class changes that calculus. Baltimore's offensive identity runs entirely through Lamar Jackson, whose dual-threat profile is the engine of one of the NFL's most complex rush-heavy schemes.

For prop bettors, the noise around Pavia and Fagnano is exactly that — noise. Jackson's passing and rushing lines heading into 2025 are unaffected by UDFA signings that have near-zero probability of seeing regular-season snaps. What this does reinforce is that Baltimore has no intention of changing its offensive infrastructure. Jackson remains the unquestioned starter operating behind a scheme that deliberately caps his passing volume — typically hovering in the 220–250 passing yards per game range — while maximizing his rushing upside, where he consistently threatens 50-plus yards on the ground. If anything, a thin backup room with no legitimate competitive threat to Jackson means zero distraction heading into camp, which is a mild positive signal for his availability and usage staying intact through the season.

The practical takeaway for the offseason prop market: nothing here moves the needle on Jackson's passing yards, rushing yards, or touchdown lines. But bettors who see any implied uncertainty priced into Jackson's season-long props based on roster churn should treat that as a buying opportunity. The Ravens' 2025 offense will look exactly like it did when they were the AFC's most feared unit — and it runs through number eight.