NFL draft results: Cowboys select Michigan's Jaishawn Barham at No. 92

TL;DR

The Dallas Cowboys selected linebacker Jaishawn Barham from Michigan with the No. 92 pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Barham is expected to play both outside linebacker and off-ball linebacker under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

Key points

Dallas Cowboys selected Jaishawn Barham at No. 92 in the NFL draft
Barham played linebacker at Michigan and Maryland
He recorded 12 sacks and 23 tackles for a loss in college
Cowboys plan to use him in multiple linebacker roles
Christian Parker is the new defensive coordinator

Mentioned in this story

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Dallas CowboysJaishawn BarhamNFL

NFL draft results: Cowboys select Michigan's Jaishawn Barham at No. 92

With the No. 92 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Jaishawn Barham, linebacker out of Michigan. The team didn’t have a pick in the second round, sat tight and used their third-round choice on a second edge player in three picks.

Barham was used as an outside linebacker and pass rusher in his final season at Michigan, but he was primarily an off-ball linebacker until that point. The Cowboys, under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, plan to use him in both capacities, similar to the way that Zack Baun has been used in Philadelphia.

The third-round pick played two years at Maryland before landing with the Wolverines for his final two seasons. He finished with 12 sacks and 23 tackles for a loss during his four years in the Big 10, and now will join Malachi Lawrence in Dallas' revised front.

Under Parker the Cowboys have chosen a path of finding younger, more athletic options instead of adding veterans to fill the pass rushing void.

Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham (1) tackles Michigan State running back Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams (15) during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.