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Draft Pick Profile – 3rd Rd LB Jaishawn Barham
Cowboys go back to Michigan to find a key part of their defensive future with this hybrid.
Bob SturmMay 02, 2026
Before we begin our task of looking at the Cowboys draft picks who were not members of this year’s Sturm 60 project, I would like to offer you a list of players who have accomplished some very impressive things in the NFL:
I think that is over 30 players and I would just like you to consider that list that I would call “very good football players” who share many things in common. Some are Hall of Famers, some are All-Pros, and all are Pro Bowlers. They all played in the NFL and one of them is considered “perhaps” the greatest player to ever play football.
But, before we look at today’s prospect, Jaishawn Barham, I would like you to figure out the reason I listed them above.
Any idea?
Yes, that’s right. They all went to Michigan. Every last one of them was educated on the football fields at Ann Arbor, Michigan and were “Michigan Men” who played for the Wolverines.
Now, I am not a Michigan fan. I’m not. I openly root against them in most every sport as a Wisconsin Badgers enthusiast. But, I also write a newsletter for Cowboys fans. And many Cowboys fans have an open aversion to any player from Michigan. They have had a bad experience with Taco Charlton and another one with Mazi Smith. Frankly, Luke Schoonmaker has not been very good, either. Drew Henson was definitely not a success story, either. Jourdan Lewis was pretty solid, though, to be fair.
Regardless, I just want to verify to any who will listen the following: There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking players from Michigan. They have won national championships including one in 2023 and produced NFL Hall of Famers for decades. I would not hesitate to take one and invest in the next Michigan player that is produced and I want to ask you all to refer to that list above anytime you feel nervous about taking a player from Michigan.
Imagine a school producing Tom Brady and Charles Woodson getting a bad rap from a NFL organization or their fanbase. Imagine!
Once we get past the 75 player mark, I generally am not fully ready for who the Cowboys select. Sometimes I get lucky, but not this time. Amazingly, I was ready for LT Overton, but not Jaishawn Barham from Michigan.
No. 1 - Jaishawn Barham -Age 22- SR - 6’3 - 240 - Michigan
Here was what I wrote about him in Monday’s piece:This was the pick they received back for Osa Odighizuwa from the 49ers.
Barham was one of those that I wish I would have profiled in retrospect, but at no point of the process did someone in the know say that you better get to him. So, I went 7 deep on linebackers and, of course, they took the 9th guy on the consensus board – mostly because he didn’t play LB as much in 2025.
In fact, using the PFF player profile information below, you can see that he played 397 snaps this year, but only 56 as a linebacker - and 39 of those 56 were in the first two weeks. Otherwise, he never played LB for more than 6 snaps in any game all season long.
Barham’s 2025 Positional Usage (PFF):
Instead, he played defensive edge and there was no way he would have cracked the Sturm 60 cut at edge, so he was one of those guys that I didn’t have a ton studied before draft weekend – thus, the insanity of only getting to the best 70-75 choices I can make.
Anyway, this isn’t about me. This is about Dallas.
Essentially, they had him on the list of what they would do if they could not get Nakobe Dean or any of their veteran ideas. Then, what would happen if they cannot get Sonny Styles. Well, it was time to move on to the “trade back from No. 20 and get some extra picks so that we can grab CJ Allen, Jacob Rodriguez, or Josiah Trotter” in that second round. Well, once they opted for Malachi Lawrence (at another position of concern and maybe one of more premium importance), they had to watch their hopes vanish between picks 43 and 60.
The dreaded LB run cleaned them right out. As that was happening, they quickly pivoted to the trade for Dee Winters (more on him by tomorrow), but then at pick 92 they drafted another edge?
I was not ready for it to be Jaishawn Barham. But, again, that is on me. He is one of many LBs who are moved to edge because sacks are more important than anything on a defense. LBs can be found, but sacks cannot. So, as with Micah Parsons and Arvell Reese, Michigan tried it with Barham. Nobody blames them as this is where the sport is these days (and perhaps always is).
But, Dallas was looking for a LB, it seems:
So, just to prepare you for the film below, it is all going to be 2024 tape when he was playing the position that we need to see. Brian Schottenheimer was pretty clear about what attracted them to Barham:
“I think you look at what we got with, with Jaishawn is a piece that has played both on the ball at Michigan, off the ball at Michigan, at Maryland. And so we think, you know, versatility with, with him is going to be something that causes major problems for people that we play and Dee’s athleticism jumps off the tape. Jaishawn’s physicality jumps off the tape. Like if you were doing the old Oklahoma drill, which my old man would love to see, I’d probably put Jaishawn out there, one of the first reps.”
Barham’s 2024 Positional Usage (PFF):
I admit that looking at 2024 instead of 2025 is not normal, but a position change is also not what we normally expect, so let’s at least try to see the same tape they were using to select him.
First, the stats dossier of Barham shows he plays a lot of snaps (almost 2,000) and a lot of games in his four seasons.
Also, we quickly see below with the athletic testing and measurements, he is a very large player in a position group where he plays at 245 and most everyone in this group is considerably smaller.
Ok, well, I guess I have already said quite a bit about this player without us doing what we came to do – watch that tape. So, let’s dive in. We have three games from 2024: Illinois, Michigan State, and their famous win at Ohio State. Here we go:
Illinois - Week 8: There is a distinct difference in him when he triggers downhill. He really can arrive with power and there is a pass rush rep at about 0:44 where he makes a RB look silly in a pass-pro rep and ends up sacking the QB. You can see some real size and thump to his game. He wants to always arrive with violence and you know that is playing my tune. Attack player who when he remains in his drops, is not quite the same guy. Seeing he ran in the 4.6 range, I had concerns, but he closes much faster than that on tape. I think his coverage will be in zones and he should be just fine if he can handle breaking down in the flats. Just a really strong man who wants to set a tone. If there is one thing written about him by scouts, it appears to be questionable instincts at always seeing things clearly. This is a huge part of the position, so let’s keep an eye on that part. Running downhill through the wrong gap will not get you on the field.
Michigan State - Week 9: Very active and aggressive and has good awareness in zone drops. Rough play reading out a screen outside and let’s the play get past him. Like the work at 1:15 sniffing out the jet sweep. He runs down plays from the backside very well. Always seems able to get in the backfield. Gets his guy to the ground usually. Look at that chase down at 1:55. Excellent. One thing about LB play is you have to make sure you don’t run around blocks. Sometimes you have to take the lead on and hold it up until your help arrives. He seems to occasionally look for the hero play and that takes him out of position. It is better to give yourself up so someone else can make the play to stay in your lane.
Finally, we move on to the famous day in Columbus. This game featured Michigan as a 20.5 point underdog and having a lousy season against the eventual national champions. This would end in the fight on the logo as Michigan would plant their flag at midfield and ugliness would ensue. This would also be the game of the Sicario video player entrance where you can see plenty of Barham and is a favorite of mine. I know that none of that tells us about the player, but I still want you to know why a game is significant to me. Here we go.
Ohio State - Week 14: Man, I really like how he gets downhill to blow up runs. Very slippery in gaps. Arrives with violence. His size and reach are both very important when looking at what makes him good in the run game. He can take guys on and use his reach to control his block a bit. Then, he also is a real issue when he rushes. I wouldn’t call him the quickest LB in change of direction, but he might fit well with these smaller faster types as a complement. The issue will always be his processing. If he can become better at that – can you learn instincts in the film room? – then we will really like the player. Change of direction is probably just average. I noticed he did almost every test but 3-cone and I doubt that was a full accident.
Ok, a few things about 2025 should be covered here. First, his move to edge which evolved more and more through the offseason and early weeks of the year. They liked him as an edge and it does make you wonder where he will eventually land.
The story was covered here and had this quote that gives you an impression on the talent level:
Then, in Week 2, he was ejected for a pass rush against New Mexico that sort of looked like he was just playing football:
I am all for taking care of player safety, but that can’t be an ejection, guys. No way. So, he missed the 1st half at Oklahoma.
Then, the other “concern” item from 2025 which probably should be entered into the report was the return visit with Ohio State back at the Big House. This one was a big win for Ohio State and a moment where Barham probably did not cover himself in glory in his final college afternoon:
Now, this got some press because it looks terrible. It does. There is no way around that. I see that some Michigan fans had an alibi for him:
He was not ejected, so that sort of confirms the claim that it wasn’t an actual head-butt, but it also suggests that he burns awfully hot in the heat of battle as do most every player in the profession. Just a few items to be made aware of and I wonder if either of them helped make him available at pick 92.
POSITIVES: He is a very talented piece who can flash at both edge and off ball linebacker and has excellent size as he triggers downhill and blows stuff up. He sets a tone and is explosive and is also a player who will mix it up and offer intensity. Big burst out of stance and can get skinny in gaps to find his way in the backfield. Tackles pretty well and has good range. Can cover just fine in zones. Durable as heck.
CONCERNS: Not sure of long speed and also change of direction seems a bit clunky. Sometimes appears to be guessing or getting improper reads where he runs his way past the action. Perhaps triggers downhill before he knows where the ball is going and there are fine lines there to doing it right. Also, might try to find big hit and therefore come up empty on occasion. Needs to watch that.
OVERALL: I love this pick at this value. There would be a spot a lot higher where it feels like a gamble, but to find this skill set and versatility at the end of Round 3 is incredible. Surely, we need to see how it plays out, but I wonder if they might have found their replacement for DeMarvion Overshown in the same round. This year, he might be the 3rd LB in a 2 LB system, but there should be plenty of work to go around for him and the Cowboys. I think this is a nice piece.
Evaluation Scores (1-10):
- Speed - 8
- Coverage Ability - 8
- Recognition - Ability to key and diagnose - 7
- Ability against the run - 8
- Pass Rush - 8
- Tackling - 8
- Disengage - shed blockers - 8
- Motor – Rally to the ball - 8
The fact that he has to say this is hilarious.
