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Editor's note: This post originally published on April 25, 2026.
It was updated on July 6, 2026.
The Dallas Cowboys continued their defensive rebuild on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL draft.
In the third round, Dallas selected linebacker Jaishawn Barham.
The Michigan product is a versatile player who could give the Cowboys some big plays as an off-the-ball linebacker and edge rusher.
Here are five things to know about Barham: 1.
The basics Name: Jaishawn Barham Position: Linebacker Height: 6-3 Weight: 240 pounds College: Michigan Hometown: District Heights, Maryland 2.
Where will he line up? Barham was officially listed as an edge rusher when he declared for the NFL draft.
That doesn't necessarily mean he'll play there for the Cowboys.
Along with his edge rushing play, he's previously lined up as an off-ball linebacker.
Shortly after the Cowboys selected Barham, Brian Schottenheimer said the player would line up at inside linebacker in Dallas.
How could he look in Christian Parker's defense? Look at Eagles star Zack Baun for reference.
3.
He transferred to Michigan after spending time at another Big Ten program Barham wasn't at Michigan to start his collegiate career.
He first played at Maryland, where he posted 95 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and one interception in two years.
He transferred to Michigan ahead of the 2024 season.
Barham was the ninth-ranked linebacker in that year's transfer portal.
4.
He's the latest Michigan player drafted by the Cowboys The Cowboys have a history of drafting Michigan players, particularly on the defensive side.
Here's a look at Dallas' recent Michigan draft picks: 2023: DT Mazi Smith, TE Luke Schoonmaker 2017: DE Taco Charlton, CB Jourdan Lewis 5.
He had a wild moment against Ohio State in 2025 Barham had a wild moment when Michigan faced Ohio State last year.
With Ohio State driving downfield, the defender was called for a penalty after he headbutted a referee.
He wasn't ejected from the game, but the penalty placed Ohio State's offense on the 2-yard line.
Michigan still held Ohio State to a field goal.
Here's a look at the play: 6.
He was one of the top linebackers in his high school recruiting class Barham was a name to watch in the high school recruiting class of 2022.
According to 247Sports, the four-star recruit was the 10th-ranked linebacker in his class.
Shemar James, one of Barham's new Cowboys teammates, was the fifth-ranked linebacker in the class.
7.
His brother wasn't a Cowboys fan..
until now? Shortly after he was drafted, Barham told reporters his family members were divided over their NFL fandom.
Barham said his mother was a Cowboys fan, while his brother was an Eagles fan.
Will Barham's brother rep the Cowboys now that the linebacker is in Dallas? He knows where he is," Barham said.
"Hes going to switch over.
8.
He was named Defensive MVP of the 2022 Polynesian Bowl As we said, Barham was a playmaker in high school.
Before he moved on to the collegiate ranks, Barham closed out his time as a high schooler at the Polynesian Bowl in 2022.
He made an impact as one of the game's top players.
Barham helped his team secure a 17-3 win with a 29-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter.
Barham's pick-six and two tackles for loss were enough for the linebacker to earn Defensive MVP honors.
9.
He models his game after some hard-hitters Barham is already gaining some fans in Dallas, particularly in the Cowboys' locker room.
After his appearance at the team's rookie minicamp, Barham said some of his favorite NFL linebackers are some past and present hard-hitters.
"I like Ray Lewis, Azeez [Al-Shaair] from the Texans, Fred Warner, a couple of guys for sure," he said.
"I feel like they're all different types of players.
Ray Lewis, straight hitter, he's a commander of the defense.
Azeez, a take-your-head-off kind of guy and Fred is more like a cover, chill guy.
He can run sideline-to-sideline.
I want to be all three so I can hit, so I can show how smart I am but for right now I'm definitely the hitter." 10.
He has an interesting rookie contract While the rookie linebacker signed a four-year deal with the Cowboys, his contract isn't fully guaranteed.
Only his signing bonus is fully guaranteed.