A versatile linebacker who moved from Maryland to Michigan and became a hybrid off-ball/edge weapon before Dallas traded up to get him.
Jaishawn Barham was a four-star recruit out of Baltimore who started immediately at Maryland before transferring to Michigan, where he developed into one of college football's more versatile front-seven defenders. The Dallas Cowboys traded for the extra draft capital to select him in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, viewing him as a linebacker capable of also rushing off the edge.
Path to the league
A four-star recruit and the No. 8 linebacker in the 2021 class out of Saint Frances Academy, Barham started all 12 games as a true freshman at Maryland in 2022, then transferred to Michigan in December 2023. The Cowboys selected him in the third round (92nd overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft, acquiring the pick from the San Francisco 49ers.
Career highlights
At Maryland, Barham earned Freshman All-American recognition from College Football News after totaling 59 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks as a true freshman, and picked up two honorable mention All-Big Ten nods. At Michigan, he started all 13 games in 2024 with 66 tackles before shifting to an edge-rusher role in 2025.
2025 season recap
In his final season at Michigan, Barham moved into a full-time edge rusher role, recording 32 tackles and 4 sacks across 12 games while also posting a career-high 10 tackles for loss. The positional flexibility he showed in that role was a major factor in Dallas trading up to select him.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Jaishawn Barham
- Dallas Cowboys: Jaishawn Barham player page
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Michigan
- Hometown
- District Heights, MD, USA
- Age
- 22
- Status
- active
