Michigan EDGE Jaishawn Barham taken by Dallas Cowboys in 2026 NFL Draft

Michigan defensive end/linebacker Jaishawn Barham raised his stock this year as a pass rusher, seeing significant time as a pass rusher. His performance on the biggest stage helped make him more valuable as a prospect … on Friday, the edge went to the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Barham, a former player for former Michigan assistant Biff Poggi at Baltimore St. Frances, transferred to Michigan in December 2023 after two years at Maryland. He started in all 13 games for the Wolverines in 2024 and finished second on the team with 66 tackles, including four tackles for loss and a sack. He switched to edge in 2025, started in 12 games, and finished the season with 32 tackles, 10 for loss, and four sacks.

Barham initially enrolled at Maryland in 2022 and started all 12 games as a true freshman. He earned Big Ten Co-Freshman of the week in a win over Purdue after notching five tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble, and finished the season with 59 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks, a pass deflection, and a forced fumble. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors and was honored as a frosh All-American by College Football News.

Barham started 11 games for Maryland in 2023. He finished his sophomore season notching 37 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, a pass deflection and an interception. He was named honorable mention All-Big Ten for a second consecutive season.

Though he never spoke to the media at Michigan, Barham received high praise from Poggi.

“He’s a beautiful kid. He really is a beautiful kid,” Poggi said. “He doesn’t say much, a quiet person, but a deep thinker, and he has a beautiful, wonderful heart. I think between him and Derrick Moore and a lot of the kids on the team … just to tell you what kind of EQ they have, I think they’re looking at me like their elderly Italian grandfather taking care of me. But on the field, when they get between the lines, forget it. He is what you see.”