{"id":184157,"date":"2026-05-07T07:54:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T07:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=184157"},"modified":"2026-05-07T07:54:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T07:54:18","slug":"%f0%9f%94%a5-exclusive-usa-today-dubs-dallas-cowboys-edge-rusher-and-3rd-round-pick-jaishawn-barham-the-biggest-steal-of-the-2026-nfl-draft-expectations-are-soaring-as-scouts-hail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=184157","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udd25 EXCLUSIVE: USA Today dubs Dallas Cowboys edge rusher and 3rd-round pick Jaishawn Barham the \u201cBiggest Steal\u201d of the 2026 NFL Draft. Expectations are soaring as scouts hail his rare blend of speed, power, and instinct. Could Barham be the game-changing force that propels Dallas to a breakout season?..ll \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\">\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2235579922-e1778067475768.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2235579922-e1778067475768.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2235579922-e1778067475768.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2235579922-e1778067475768.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Cowboys 3rd Round Pick Called 'Biggest Steal' of NFL Draft\" width=\"780\" height=\"441\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>\n<p>Getty<\/p>\n<p>Michigan edge rusher and Dallas Cowboys draft pick Jaishawn Barham.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Dallas Cowboys are completely reinventing their defense in 2026, and that starts with the NFL draft and players like 3rd-round pick Jaishawn Barham.<\/p>\n<p>USA Today\u2019s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz called Barham, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound edge rusher, the \u201cBiggest Steal\u201d of the draft.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBetween his size and limited usage at edge rusher until his final season at Michigan, Barham offered up a projection less straightforward than many of his peers,\u201d Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote. \u201cWhat was readily evident, though, was his overall knack for creating disruption. The Maryland transfer throttles up his intensity in an instant, allowing him to close in on quarterbacks and ball carriers in short order. The Cowboys will start him off at off-ball linebacker, where his responsibilities are sure to be more complex than merely finding the ball and chasing it down. Yet it might not be long before defensive coordinator Christian Parker wants to carve out more reps for a player who can make himself a mainstay in opponents\u2019 backfields.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Barham was 1 of 3 edge rushers the Cowboys drafted in 2026, along with 1st round pick (No. 23 overall) Malachi Lawrence and 4th round pick LT Overton, who could eventually move to the interior defensive line.<\/p>\n<p>The Cowboys also used their 1st pick of the 1st round on a defensive player, taking Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 overall.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Barham\u2019s Position Switch Late in College Career<\/h2>\n<p data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\">Barham was an All-Big Ten pick in 2025 after switching positions from off-ball linebacker to edge rusher.<\/p>\n<p data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\">\u201cBarham logged most of his snaps at off-ball linebacker, but his 2025 tape showed explosiveness that will attract teams seeking a developmental rush \u2018backer in an odd front,\u201d\u00a0NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. \u201cHe\u2019s raw as a rusher, relying heavily on athleticism, but the missing elements are teachable. Whether outside or inside, he\u2019s a professional block-beater with the tools to stack or slip blocks, though his edge-setting needs work. His bend and reactive agility create unlikely tackle chances that few can find. His intensity and motor are top-tier but he needs to play with better discipline to avoid negative snaps. With explosive traits and inside-outside versatility, he projects as an impactful future starter once his technique catches up.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Cowboys Looking to Reboot Edge Rusher Position<\/h2>\n<p data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\">The Cowboys have had zero identity at edge rusher since trading NFL All-Pro\u00a0Micah Parsons\u00a0to the\u00a0Green Bay Packers just weeks before the 2025 season.<\/p>\n<p data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\">Taking Lawrence and Barham with back-to-back picks in the draft, along with trading for former 1st round pick Rashan Gary, helps get the Cowboys back on track after having arguably the NFL\u2019s worst defense in 2025.<\/p>\n<p data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\">ESPN\u2019s Field Yates singled out Barham as the biggest steal of the 3rd round.<\/p>\n<p data-mrf-recirculation=\"Articles \/ Paragraph Links\">\u201cThe weekend went very well for the Cowboys, including this selection of Barham,\u201d Yates wrote. \u201cThe former Maryland standout began his college career as a stand-up linebacker before moving to a hybrid role during his final season at Michigan. Barham has aggressive hands and is explosive when rushing the passer. Still, he needs to develop a better rush plan at the NFL level.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getty Michigan edge rusher and Dallas Cowboys draft pick Jaishawn Barham. The Dallas Cowboys are completely reinventing their defense in 2026, and that starts with the NFL&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":184158,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-184157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\ud83d\udd25 EXCLUSIVE: USA Today dubs Dallas Cowboys edge rusher and 3rd-round pick Jaishawn Barham the \u201cBiggest Steal\u201d of the 2026 NFL Draft. Expectations are soaring as scouts hail his rare blend of speed, power, and instinct. Could Barham be the game-changing force that propels Dallas to a breakout season?..ll \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47 - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=184157\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\ud83d\udd25 EXCLUSIVE: USA Today dubs Dallas Cowboys edge rusher and 3rd-round pick Jaishawn Barham the \u201cBiggest Steal\u201d of the 2026 NFL Draft. Expectations are soaring as scouts hail his rare blend of speed, power, and instinct. Could Barham be the game-changing force that propels Dallas to a breakout season?..ll \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47 - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Getty Michigan edge rusher and Dallas Cowboys draft pick Jaishawn Barham. 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