FRISCO, Texas — Jaishawn Barham ran out of steam at points in his preseason debut and was hurting from a conditioning standpoint, Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Monday at The Star. Dallas has not gone through the playing time from Saturday night. It has not penciled in a starting lineup at most spots either.
Barham was off the ball at times at Michigan and on the ball at times, and Schottenheimer said he rushes the passer well from both alignments.
“A lot. I think you see him get skinny. You see him less in the surface area for a blocker to have and then be able to still create so much power,” Schottenheimer said. “The guy’s an extremely powerful person. But I think you just see the experience of that versatility showing up on understanding angles and then changing his body, contorting the different ways to beat a blocker.”
“The worst thing you want to do to the guy is try to take him on down the middle because he’s so damn strong,” Schottenheimer continued. “But he has the ability to beat you that way, but he also showed us the ability to maneuver around blocks but still have the strike to knock people back.”
What Jaishawn Barham Did Against Arizona
Barham made his preseason debut in the starting defense at State Farm Stadium and finished with 5 tackles, including 1 for a loss. He wore the green dot and took the coach-to-player communication in place of DeMarvion Overshown. Shemar James started alongside him. Malachi Lawrence and James Houston started on the edge. Caleb Downs did not play.
One nickname circulating for Barham is Bar Hammer. Schottenheimer said he likes it.
Jaishawn Barham’s Path To Dallas
Dallas drafted Barham in the third round, No. 92 overall, in April. He is listed at 6-3 and 240 pounds. Barham spent two seasons at Maryland and was a Freshman All-American there in 2022. He transferred to Michigan and played off the ball in 2024. He moved to the edge in 2025.
A groin injury sustained in Oxnard cost Barham the preseason opener at Seattle on Aug. 15. He returned to practice as a full participant. His first work against another roster came in the joint practice against New Orleans on Aug. 18.
The Dallas Cowboys Linebacker Group
Christian Parker took over the Dallas defense in January and runs a 3-4 front. The Cowboys allowed 511 points last season, 30.1 per game, which ranked last in the NFL.
Overshown played 6 games with 5 starts and recorded 28 tackles. James played 14 games with 6 starts and recorded 91 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a rookie.
What Is Left Before Dallas Cowboys Cuts
Two practices in front of fans at The Star are left, on Tuesday and Wednesday. The preseason closes Friday against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is 7 p.m. CT on CBS.
Rosters must be at 53 players by 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 30. Waiver claims are due at noon CT the next day.
