Saints sign former top-100 prospect as an undrafted free agent

Here's another undrafted free agent signing for the New Orleans Saints : Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris, per Nick Underhill for NewOrleans.Football . Harris was a projected third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft but wasn't selected due to a couple of reasons. The 6-foot-8, 330-pound defensive lineman underwent foot surgery in March after the NFL Combine and is still on the mend. He was also scrutinized for off-the-field concerns after being arrested in 2023 (felony fleeing, DUI, reckless driving, being a minor in possession, and other traffic violations) and 2024 (domestic violence and obstructing arrest).

When asked about his NFL outlook after not being drafted, Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding told the Clarion-Ledger "Hopefully he gets in a room with a vet and sees it done the right way on a day-to-day basis."

Clearly Harris has some maturity issues to manage and character questions to answer. From the Saints' perspective, it's a low-risk move to sign him on an unguaranteed contract and see if he can avoid trouble and win football games. If something happens they can cut him without any salary cap implications. If he does stay clean, earns a roster spot, and gets opportunities to make plays? He could be a real asset. He was credited with 17.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, four passes defensed, and six blocked kicks in college. We'll see how it plays off.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints sign Ole Miss DT Zxavian Harris to low-risk, high-reward deal