The New Orleans Saints have signed linebacker Deion Jones, defensive lineman Brien Taylor and EDGE Malaki Williams and waived defensive lineman Zxavian Harris, it was announced by Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis.
Jones, 6-1, 222, is a nine-year NFL veteran who was originally a second round draft pick (52nd overall) by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2016 NFL Draft out of LSU. A New Orleans native and former Jesuit High School standout, Jones has appeared in 128 regular season games with 91 starts for the Falcons (2016-21), Cleveland Browns (2022), Carolina Panthers (2023) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2024-25) and has career totals of 746 tackles (483 solo), 12 sacks, 13 interceptions returned for 384 yards, five brought back for touchdowns, 53 pass breakups, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 15 special teams stops. In six postseason games with five starts, he has career totals of 35 tackles (25 solo), an interception return, five passes defensed and one forced fumble. Jones took on a leadership role on the Buccaneers special teams units in 2026, appearing in all 16 games and finishing with a career-high 12 stops, while also adding eight defensive tackles. During his college career in Baton Rouge from 2012-15, Jones played in 51 career games and tallied 165 tackles, five sacks, four passes defensed, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. He was a Butkus Award finalist as a senior in 2015 after playing in 12 games and recording 100 tackles, five sacks, three passes defensed, two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown and one forced fumble.
Taylor, 6-4, 293, comes to the Saints after spending the last two seasons at the University of Florida, where he played in 22 games and recorded 38 tackles (14 solo), five stops for loss, two sacks and one forced fumble. In his final season for the Gators in 2025, he recorded 24 tackles (15 solo), three stops for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble and two quarterback hurries across 12 games. The Houston, Texas native transferred to Gainesville in 2024 after spending two seasons at Blinn College, where he played in 13 games and finished with 39 tackles (17 solo), 9.5 stops for loss, two sacks, seven quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.
Williams, 6-5, 252, joins the Saints after spending his redshirt senior campaign at Boise State in 2025 following playing his first four college seasons at Idaho. In his final college season, the Chandler, Ariz. native saw action in 13 games and totaled 11 tackles, including three stops for loss, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble.
