Saints UDFA profile: Mississippi defensive tackle Zxavian Harris

Nearly one week after the completion of the 2026 NFL Draft, defensive tackle Zxavian Harris was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted rookie. Harris was widely expected to be a Day 2 draft choice or early Day 3 at worst. The fact that he went unsigned for almost a week was an even bigger surprise than him sliding out of the draft altogether.

Problems off the field likely caused teams to bypass Harris in the draft. He’s been involved in several legal issues, including a 2023 arrest for driving under the influence and felony fleeing of a scene in addition to a 2024 arrest for domestic violence and obstruction charges. Additionally, Harris also had foot surgery after this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. Legal issues aside, there’s little doubting that the Saints have a talented player if his troubles are behind him.

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Zxavian Harris bio

• Position: Defensive tackle

Strengths

• Rare combination of power and burst

• Good bull-rush to collapse pass pockets

• Immediate recovery when knocked off balance

• Versatility to play multiple fronts

• Powerful punch into blockers

Weaknesses

▪︎ Multiple arrests (likely pushed him out of draft)▪︎ Foot surgery after Scouting Combine▪︎ Conditioning questions▪︎ Must improve footwork and agility▪︎ Needs to improve balance and body control for leverage▪︎ Counter pass rush moves must be developed

Risk vs. Reward?

There is certainly a risk involved when adding a player with such off-field difficulties. Without getting into the specific legalities of Harris and his arrests, there is no doubt that he must show better judgement if he is to have an NFL career. The Saints have been down this road recently. In 2019, then-Wyoming defensive end Carl Granderson was viewed as a probable Day 2 draft choice. However, Granderson was sentenced to a six-month jail sentence as a plea to charges of sexual battery and unwanted contact. As a result, Granderson fell completely out of the draft and was signed by New Orleans as an undrafted rookie. Granderson wasn’t eligible to play until midway through his 2019 rookie season. Since then, he’s been trouble-free and has become an important part of the Saints edge rotation. Obviously, New Orleans hopes to get the same results and production from Zxavian Harris.

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Harris has certainly proven himself to be a capable talent. He’s a disruptive defender against the run and as a pass rusher who is a matchup nightmare for blockers. During the Ole Miss run to the CFP semifinals, he contributed 58 tackles, 9 stops for loss, 3 sacks, and an interception. Harris also comes up big on special teams, where he blocked six kicks during his Rebels career.

On the field, Harris also has some things to clean up. Firstly, he’ll need to work on his conditioning to be a potential every down force. His footwork and overall body control also must improve. However, Zxavian Harris has tremendous upside with his freakish combination of size, length, power, and burst to the ball. He also brings the ability to be effective in multiple positions across a defensive line.

New Orleans got stronger up the middle with the drafting of second round pick Christen Miller out of Georgia. With any luck, SEC opponent Zxavian Harris will be able to increase that interior upgrade and develop into what Carl Granderson has on the outside for the Saints. Harris has the talent and found a team willing to take the chance that his off-field problems are in the past. The rest is now up to Harris.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: What Saints are getting in undrafted Mississippi DT Zxavian Harris