Jaishawn Barham

● Explosive athlete, with functional length and big hands ● Bursts out of his stance and has a lightning-quick first step (former Michigan LBs coach Brian Jean-Mary: “In terms of physical talent, he’s one of the best I’ve ever been around.”) ● Able to contort his body and turn the corner at near-full speed ● Twitchy movements when reacting to backfield action ● Physical mentality — slams his hands into blocks ● Always in chase mode; outstanding speed from the backside ● Linebacker background — doesn’t look out of place dropping in zone ● Very reserved and plays with quiet toughness (NFL scout: “I could barely get two words out of him, but the coaches say he responds well to them.”) ● Durable — collected 47 starts over his career 355 Back to table of contents -- 359 of 629 --

● Narrow torso, with mediocre bulk and tapered lower body ● Inexperienced pass-rush moves and lacks a polished plan ● Attacks before reading — will fly into the backfield, past the football ● Too easily pushed upfield behind the quarterback ● Inconsistent snap anticipation — offside penalties started to pile up ● Violent, aggressive hands but struggles sifting through bodies ● Gets in trouble going for big hits instead of sure tackles ● Headbutted an official during Ohio State game, resulting in a crucial penalty

A two-year starter at Michigan (and four-year starter overall), Barham moved from linebacker to a boundary edge rusher role a few games into the 2025 season, in former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s four-man front. He was a stacked, off-ball player his first three years in college but was receptive to the position switch — and was a better fit at edge, collecting 10 tackles for loss in 2025. There is a difference between being versatile and a tweener, and Barham is more of the latter, as he lacks the instincts to play off-ball or the size to be an every-down edge. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a role for him at the next level. He wins with speed, physicality and body twitch, although he tends to play in overdrive and often finds himself out of control. Overall, Barham must improve his discipline and refinement to stay on the field, but he can create disruption based just on his explosiveness and high activity level. He will need a patient coaching staff ready to cultivate his athletic upside.