Jaishawn Barham has been a standout at every level of football at which he has played. Ranked the third best prospect in the state of Maryland after his high school career, Barham originally committed to the University of South Carolina but eventually decided to stay in his home state and play for Maryland in the Big 10.
In two seasons with the Terps, the District Heights, Maryland native saw action in 23 games. He started as a true freshman in 2022 and led the team in tackles for loss. He led all freshmen in the conference in total tackles. Barham was All Big 10 honorable mention in 2022 and 2023.
Then ,Michigan came calling, so he moved to Ann Arbor. Barham played both edge and linebacker for the Wolverines. In 2024 he started every game and ended up second on the team in tackles. Against arch rival Ohio State, Barham was named defensive player of the game in the Wolverines victory.
Last season Barham started 11 games and had an All Big 10 performance. In two years with the Maize and Blue, Barham played 17 games at linebacker and seven at edge. He recorded 98 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and five passes defended.
Joe Marino provides draft analysis for WGR. Check out Joe's website, thejoemarino.com and listen to his podcast, Locked On Bills. Here are Joe's thoughts on Barham.
Positives:
Just terrific versatility. If you were somebody that believed the Bills were going to be in on Leo Chanel, this is probably the player you would draft. You'd get that similar type player.
You can play him as a stack linebacker off the ball. He can read and react and process. But this past year he started to play on the edge for Michigan. You saw a lot of skill there with how he can make an impact playing on the ball, lined up outside of tight ends and tackles. Whether it's defending the run, rushing or playing in coverage, there's a really unique skill set here.
I think of him as a front seven weapon. You've heard the Bills talk about positionless players, that's what you get here. He can play all over the place and do a lot of different things. He's physical. He's got an unrelenting motor. There's something to be said about maybe not having anything mastered. But it's the way that he can help in so many different ways combined with a lot of athleticism. He's a smaller guy, he's 240 pounds, but he's got over 34 inch arms.
There's quite a bit that he can do in terms of just being a front seven weapon and adding a lot of diversity to the scheme and just being a versatile player that can help in so many different ways.
Negatives:
I just don't think he's a super nuanced pass rusher. You love the idea of all the things he can do, but the most important thing will be can he rush? He's got a nice foundation of bursts, flexibility and length. But, the technical side of that is just behind. He can get wide with his rush. He doesn't protect his frame as well as he needs to, so when hands are on him, he can get bumped and knocked off course.
He'll have to develop more of a profile of moves that he can deploy as opposed to, I'm just more athletic and long and I play with a hot motor. He's going to have to have some technique about him. He can be aggressive to a fault. You love how tenacious he is, but that doesn't mean it's not going to get him in trouble, maybe overrunning plays or overpursuing or being out of his gap.
There's a lot of appeal here, but you have to hone in on getting him into a position where he's super comfortable to help your defense and not hurt it.
The draft will be held April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
Edge should be a priority for the Bills in the upcoming draft. Jaishawn Barham is one of the prospects hoping to hear his name called.
