Jaishawn Barham started his collegiate career at Maryland as a linebacker and would transfer to Michigan after two seasons. Barham would go on to play as a linebacker at Michigan in 2024, before transitioning to being an edge rusher in 2025.
In all, Barham made 47 career starts with 193 tackles (23 for loss), 12 sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception.
Barham did some nice things in his lone season at edge, but his production varied drastically and there were large swaths of the season where his pass-rush was needed in big moments and he wasn’t able to come through. Barham has athleticism, a high motor, and a steady amount of speed but winning with strength and physicality against offensive linemen, especially in the NFL, could be an uphill battle.
While NFL teams likely view Barham as a better fit at edge, I question that logic and see a player who could have more of a shot at longevity in the NFL as a linebacker. Perhaps Barham’s best usage in the NFL will be his ability to play linebacker and edge in certain packages. Barham can’t be expected to ever be an every-down edge type player, but there’s reasonable optimism he could be part of a rotation at the position.
