yardbarker
An unexpected NFL ruling has opened the door for the Green Bay Packers to address a pressing need on their defensive front. According to Tom Pelissero of The Ringer and Netflix, the NFL Management Council has informed defensive tackle Zxavian Harris that he is eligible to play in the NFL immediately. The council determined that Harris never practiced at LSU, where he had attempted to return after initially pursuing a professional career.
Harris, who signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent, later tried to go back to college at LSU. That plan unraveled due to the college football landscape's reaction. Initially, the league ruled that Harris and other players who attempted to return to the NCAA would be ineligible for the 2026 NFL season. However, because Harris never practiced at LSU after leaving the NFL, his situation differed, leading the Management Council to clear him.
The ruling holds particular significance for Green Bay, which had tried out Harris before the league originally deemed him ineligible. Now that he is cleared, the young defensive tackle is back on the market, and the Packers have a clear need at the position. Harris, a 6-foot-8, 330-pound defensive tackle, played college football at Ole Miss from 2022 to 2025 and went undrafted this year. He spent training camp and the preseason with the Saints but did not make the 53-man roster, prompting his attempted return to college.
Key Analysis
The timing aligns well for the Packers, who are grappling with a real depth problem on the interior defensive line. Javon Hargrave suffered a ruptured Achilles and is out for the season. Warren Brinson is on injured reserve, and Jordon Riley remains on the physically unable to perform list. That leaves Green Bay with five defensive tackles on the 53-man roster: Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks, Chris McClellan, Jonathan Ford, and Anthony Campbell. The team also has David Blay Jr. on the practice squad.
With so many injuries at one position, adding a rookie with developmental upside makes sense. Harris wouldn't necessarily need to contribute right away. Green Bay could sign him to the practice squad for the rest of the season and let him develop, while keeping him available as an emergency option if more injuries pile up. But more than that, this is a player the Packers already know to some degree. The workout shows they had at least some level of interest in Harris before the original ruling took him off the board. Now, the door that closed on Harris earlier this season is open again, and Green Bay has every reason to circle back and consider him at this moment.
Originally reported by yardbarker.