The New Orleans Saints slipped in a bit of unexpected roster news on Saturday morning, announcing the signings of defensive linemen Brien Taylor and Malaki Williams while waiving rookie defensive tackle Zxavian Harris.
It’s a move that makes sense on paper, but it still lands as a surprise for the former Ole Miss star.
Harris signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss in April after having foot surgery in March. The hope was that he could get healthy, settle in and maybe carve out a role once he got on the field. That never happened. Harris had the foot surgery after the NFL Combine and missed his Pro Day. He opened training camp on the non‑football injury list with the Saints and didn’t take a single practice snap.
Given all that, it’s easy to see why the Saints made the move. A rookie who can’t practice is a tough roster fit, especially at a position where depth matters.
But there’s still one wrinkle to watch.
What’s unclear is whether Harris was waived with an injury designation. If he was, he could revert to injured reserve and use this season to rehab and heal. If he wasn’t, then the Saints decided to move on completely. We’ll know more once the transaction wire updates.
Either way, it’s a disappointing turn for Harris.
He was viewed as a third‑round talent before falling out of the draft due to off‑field issues and the foot injury. Plenty of Saints fans hoped he could get healthy, stick around and eventually become a contributor. His college production backed that up.
Harris finished his Ole Miss career with more than 120 tackles, 5.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble while standing out as one of the biggest bodies in the SEC at 6‑foot‑8.
For now, though, Harris will be looking for a new home. Maybe the injury designation gives him a path back. Maybe another team takes a chance on his size and upside once he’s fully recovered.
But as of Saturday morning, his time in New Orleans is over, and the Saints are moving forward without him.
