The first name that drew the buzz at Dallas Cowboys training camp was Caleb Downs. That was the obvious one - the first-round rookie, the headline act, the player everyone wanted to see.
But after two weeks in Oxnard, another defender has stolen a good chunk of that spotlight. Third-round pick Jaishawn Barham has become the Cowboys’ most talked-about defender and one of the biggest standouts on the roster, period.
What makes that rise so notable is how little of it felt guaranteed. Barham came into Dallas as a player in transition, shifting back to inside linebacker after spending his senior season at Michigan as an edge rusher.
Even through the Scouting Combine and draft process, he was presenting himself as an edge. The Cowboys, though, had other plans almost immediately after taking him in the third round, moving him back to the ILB role he played before 2025.
Plenty of people liked the idea. Some even thought it could be the better NFL fit.
Still, the expectation was that there would be some adjustment time. Instead, Barham has shown up in Oxnard and looked comfortable right away, turning into a regular source of plays for the defense.
He hasn’t just blended in, either. Rather than looking like the third option behind projected starters DeMarvion Overshown and Dee Winters, Barham may already be putting pressure on the veteran for snaps.
And he’s doing this in a camp full of defensive attention-grabbers.
Downs has made his presence felt with strong plays against CeeDee Lamb and other offensive starters. Quinnen Williams, now paid like an elite DT, has been giving the offensive line a level of trouble they haven’t really seen in Cowboys camp before. Cobie Durant has been a summer standout too, and there was also plenty of praise for Jalen Thompson before he missed time with a minor injury.
Even with all that, Barham’s timing might make his surge the most valuable development of the bunch.
Dallas could need him sooner rather than later at inside linebacker. If Downs or Malachi Lawrence were to hit a rookie wall, the Cowboys have Thompson and P.J Locke, or Rashan Gary and Donovan Ezeiruaku, to help keep things moving.
Up front, Kenny Clark and Otito Ogbonnia would still leave Dallas with a workable interior even without Quinnen. At cornerback, DaRon Bland, Shavon Revel, and other options give the team more ways to cover regular-season snaps.
Linebacker is different. Overshown has already missed some practices because of leg soreness, and that puts a bright red flag next to his status. If that issue costs him real games, his projected role as the defense’s Mike and green dot would be in play.
And even if Dallas hands that responsibility to another veteran or to someone like Downs, the defense still needs an inside linebacker who can control the middle of the field.
That’s why Barham’s fast start matters so much. The Cowboys’ depth concerns at linebacker, combined with the possibility that Overshown could miss more time, make Barham more than just a pleasant camp surprise. He’s suddenly looking like a real answer at a spot that, not long ago, seemed more like wishful thinking.
A third-round pick changing positions and becoming a meaningful contributor right away is a risky bet. But Barham is making it look a lot less far-fetched than it did a couple of weeks ago.
He probably won’t finish the season as Dallas’ defensive MVP. He probably won’t be chasing Caleb Downs for Rookie of the Year, either. But right now, Barham’s emergence is the most striking story on the Cowboys’ defense in Oxnard.
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Sean McVay Just Gave Cowboys Fans Real Hope About This Defense
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Sean McVays praise added a little more credibility to what Dallas has been building, with the Rams coach pointing to the Cowboys changes and singling out players such as Justin Barron and Shavon Revel for standing out. The front seven in particular has looked improved, and while preseason reps do not settle anything, they can at least tell you whether a defense is trending in the right direction. For the Cowboys, this one felt like a meaningful step. [Read more 🡒]