While it is true that signature-based antivirus can sometimes detect the payload of a zero-day-based delivery mechanism, it is not a reliable or comprehensive method for protecting against malware. Zero-day exploits and advanced malware can evade signature-based detection, and I wouldn’t bank on rely on this method of protection. In addition, heuristic-based protection methods have limitations and a high false positive rate, making them less effective.
nothing is a reliable or comprehensive method of protection - that's why we employ defense in depth, including host-based security and software hardening.