Possible for Jaishawn Barham to be most important 2026 draft pick?

Yes, I understand the Dallas Cowboys should not have even gotten Caleb Downs at 12, and that is not the point of this post.

We know Downs is the most NFL ready guy in the draft and has a chance to win defensive rookie of the year, but Jaishawn Barham will be more important than you think and he could be the most important pick of this draft.

Read that again, most important, not most valuable, please understand the difference between the two.

Let’s Dive In

Dee Winters and DeMarvion Overshown right now are the starters at inside linebacker.

My guess would be that Barham could still be a factor and get snaps from day one.

The Cowboys will start Barham as an off-ball linebacker, which may come as a surprise since he played exclusively on the edge last season at Michigan. However, Barham played 24 games at linebacker over the previous two years and did so at a high level.

.@OThankKevin and @inthemageors react to what we saw and heard from #Cowboys' LB Jaishawn Barham at the team's rookie minicamp. pic.twitter.com/TdrylVqCBt

— 105.3 The FAN (@1053thefan) May 4, 2026

We know that Downs is going to help change the secondary. The corners still need some work, but he will help out playing some nickle back. Still, the linebacker situation right now is setting up for Barham to be a dude.

The one major issue is that when teams draft linebackers, the last few years have not given us good results in terms of rookies stepping in and being a difference maker, it takes a bit for these guy to get settled into one of the most important spots on the team.

I would argue that it is the most important thing of defense. Trading for Winters, I think will be an underrated move for this front office, because now you are not depending 100% on a rookie and a guy in Overshown who has battled major knee injuries.

Still, Barham could be the most important draft pick if Christian Parker can use him in the new defense.

As noted above, him being a pass rusher a year ago and now playing linebacker could be a learning curve, but from the buzz around the summer thus far is that he looks awesome and might be the best rookie outside of Downs, and I love to hear that because we know how well this team has done with drafting guys from Michigan.

As a sophomore in 2023, Barham added 37 tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception, one pass breakup, and three quarterback hurries. He showed he is a linebacker who can do a little bit of everything: tackle, blitz, play in space, and affect the passer.

These are just a few of the reasons I don’t see Barham as a full-time edge rusher. I see him as a linebacker who gained more pass-rush tools along the way.

“The best thing is you don’t have to project it, because you see it. At both Maryland and Michigan, he’s played both spots. He’s off the ball, he’s playing on the edge, they’re playing,” Parker said this summer.

It has been something to forget when they pick up the phone and call a player who played at Michigan.

Either way, the point of this post is to give my option, not to fight with anyone. This defense will need all the help they can get, and I think outside of Downs, who will be the most valuable to them, Barham could be the most important.

Caleb Downs + LT Overton + Jaishawn Barham at the final day of #Cowboys rookie minicamp. pic.twitter.com/j0DnQm2Kno

— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) May 2, 2026

The good news is that the linebackers can’t get any worse than what we saw a year ago. That was not good.

We will see how this goes, but this could end up being the most important guy in the draft or Dallas and do not be surprised if he and Downs are graded as the Cowboys’ best rookies when the season ends.