Jerry Jones, Cowboys are sitting on goldmine in Jaishawn Barham

Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys are walking out of the 2026 NFL Draft with seven rookies ready to take the field, and while all of them bring their strengths, one may especially be an underrated gem.

Heading into the draft, one of the big priorities for the Cowboys was an edge-rusher. That's why they were so interested in Maxx Crosby during the offseason. Dallas simply has a need at edge-rusher, and they realized that going into the event.

So, the team drafted not one, not two, but three edge-rushers in Malachi Lawrence of UCF, Jaishawn Barham of Michigan and LT Overton of Alabama. You know the saying, you can never have too many edge-rushers? That's the case here.

While all three bring their strengths, the Barham pick is quite the steal.

Michigan's Jaishawn Barham poised to make noise in the NFL

Say what you will about the Michigan Wolverines, and they have their haters (Ohio State, we're looking at you), but they are a heritage football program that knows how to craft stars. With that in mind, it shouldn't be surprising at all that Barham is looking like an exceptional value pick for the Cowboys.

One of the reasons Barham wasn't drafted higher is that teams didn't get a solid look at him in one role. He was more of an off-ball linebacker at Maryland and an edge-rusher at Michigan. But once the Cowboys pick one lane for him, he'll be able to develop.

Dallas is likely to start him off where he has more experience, which is as an off-ball linebacker, and that's what head coach Brian Schottenheimer has said about his plan for the player. But Barham has the makings of a solid EDGE, so there's a good chance that defensive coordinator Christian Parker will train him in that role.

Barham also brings solid numbers, and in 2025, he clocked a 90.4 run-defense grade, according to research from Pro Football Focus, the fourth-best in the country at edge. So, yes, an edge-rusher role may be in Barham's future, although he brings more immediate value as a linebacker. Either way, it's a win-win for Jones and the Cowboys.