1 Cowboys rookie who stood out most in 2026 minicamp

The Dallas Cowboys could be a dangerous team in the NFC during the 2026 season. Dallas made some big improvements this offseason after finishing 7-9-1 in 2025. The Cowboys fired Matt Eberflus and replaced him with Christian Parker, which should give them a tactical advantage on defense.

The Cowboys also added a ton of young talent to their defense, improving what was a terrible unit a year ago. Dallas landed Caleb Downs in the draft along with a handful of additional defensive rookies.

If Dallas has an improved defense in 2026, the entire team will benefit. The Cowboys may even become a contender in the NFC East if they consistently play complementary football.

Dallas got their chance to see those rookies in limited action during rookie minicamp at the beginning of May. But which rookie defender made the biggest impression during their first look?

One Cowboys player stood out from the crowd during the team’s rookie minicamp earlier this spring.

Jaishawn Barham was quite impressive during rookie minicamp

The Cowboys drafted Barham in the third round of the draft.

Dallas doubled down on edge rushers in the draft, bringing in Barham after spending a first-round pick on Malachi Lawrence. Barham may not project as an immediate starter, but he is already showing flashes of his potential.

Former Cowboys wide receiver Jesse Holley gave him a rave review after visiting the team during rookie minicamp.

“…We might have one with Jaishawn Barham… When we were done, about 90 percent of the rookies left the room… Barham stayed for about another 20–25 minutes, asking questions, wanting to know more,” Holley said on May 13th via All-City DLLS Cowboys. “Just consistently digging into the conversation of ‘How is it that I can get better?’ I was highly, highly, highly impressed with Jaishawn Barham.”

Barham sounds like the ideal student of the game. It is always good news when a player has intensity on the football field. But the truly great NFL players put in a ton of work off the field just like Barham is doing right away to start his career.

Hopefully Barham continues to stay hungry to learn more NFL defenses throughout training camp and the preseason. If he continues to put in the hard work, Dallas’ coaching staff will eventually reward his effort.

In fact, they may already have a master plan for how to use him during his rookie season.

Barham could fill a huge need for the Cowboys on defense

The Cowboys have their own plans for how to use Barham in Parker’s new defensive scheme.

According to Tommy Yarrish of Cowboys.com, Dallas plans to use Barham as an inside linebacker in their defense. Schottenheimer set the expectation at the beginning of rookie minicamp and Parker confirmed that Barham would get work at middle linebacker.

Barham sounds excited about playing linebacker for the Cowboys.

“I feel like my ability to run, run sideline to sideline, be able to hit, take on blocks, get off blocks, being able to cover tight ends, running backs, whatever,” Barham said. “I feel like I’m a football player. So whether it’s d-end or linebacker, I play football, so I can do it.”

Playing off-ball linebacker will be nothing new for Barham. In fact, he spent most of his collegiate career playing off the ball. According to PFF, Barham played in the box on 1,389 snaps during his two years each at Maryland and Michigan. That is compared to just 572 snaps on the defensive line.

The Wolverines switched their tactics in 2025, playing Barham primarily on the defensive line. That’s why many teams regarded Barham as an edge rusher in the draft. But he clearly has the experience needed to contribute at linebacker too.

There is a clear path for Barham to win snaps as a rookie.

Dallas only has a handful of reliable players on the roster at middle linebacker. DeMarvion Overshown and Dee Winters project as starters with Shemar Jones, Justin Barron, Marist Liafau, and others in reserve.

Barham could play himself into a rotational role if he balls out during training camp and the preseason. He could even jockey for a starting job if he continues playing well during the regular season.

It will be exciting to see how well Barham and his fellow rookies look in Dallas’ new-look defense later this fall.

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