3 Great fits for Michigan prospects from the 2026 NFL Draft

LB Jaishawn Barham

Dallas Cowboys – Round 3 (92nd overall)

Barham was one of the more interesting players on Michigan’s defense in 2025 and it translated into him becoming something of an interesting draft prospect as well. After being exclusively an off-ball linebacker for the first three years of his career, Barham saw a healthy amount of snaps as a pass-rusher on the edge in 2026 – an area where he excelled right away. Now, the Cowboys might be in position to utilize his versatility as well. The Dallas defense is currently in a position where it has good starting options both off the edge (Rashan Gary and Donovan Ezeiruaku) and off-ball (DeMarvion Overshown and Dee Winters), but don’t have much depth at either position. That means that Barham will still likely get the chance to play early and often at both positions, much like Moore, positioning him to become a more well-known player around the league.

LB Jimmy Rolder

Detroit Lions – Round 4 (118th overall)

Yet another Wolverine sticking close to home, as linebacker Jimmy Rolder will join Derrick Moore on the Detroit defense. Rolder burst onto the scene for the Michigan defense in 2025 after only getting spot snaps throughout his first three years with the program. It was perhaps a surprise to seen him taken in the fourth round, but Lions might not think they’re reaching for him if they’re able to help keep him on his upward trajectory. The Lions should be optimistic that they can continue to squeeze juice out of Rolder’s game, as they’ve found success drafting linebackers in this range over the past few years, with Derrick Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez being examples. Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard was responsible for helping those two – especially Barnes, reach their potential and can now try to help Rolder take a similar jump. Rolder likely won’t have the same chance to compete for playing time right away as Moore will with the Lions, but don’t be surprised to see him on the field in some capacity as a rookie.