Jaishawn Barham is a linebacker/EDGE from Michigan who is ranked No. 81 on my NFL Draft Top 100 Big Board. This comprehensive scouting report analyzes Barham’s draft potential, current mock draft trends, and where he ranks among the top prospects.
Jaishawn Barham’s NFL Draft Potential
Jaishawn Barham first made waves as a true freshman off-ball linebacker at Maryland in 2022. He’d eventually leverage his early-career play into a transfer opportunity at Michigan, but struggled in 2024 and transitioned to more of a primary EDGE role in 2025. That move has gone well for Barham, whose speed and bend off the edge has been nearly impossible for blockers to deal with.
Barham is athletic and flexible enough to win off tools alone much of the time, but he also has the compact mass and physicality to slab pullers and make solo stops. He’s not close to what Abdul Carter was last cycle, but evaluators looking for a discount option within that mold could do worse than Barham.
CFB Week 9 Update
Barham wasn’t able to feast on Michigan State’s offense in the pass game like he has been for several teams before, but he nonetheless provided a tangible impact in both phases. As a pass-rusher, Barham’s wicked first step and bend splicing past blocks helped contribute to more than one rushed decision, and he was a menace in the run game with his range, quickness recalibrating gaps, and stacking strength, with an average yards allowed per run stop of just 1.5 (per TruMedia). Barham continues to make his presence felt as an attacking LB with real EDGE appeal, and NFL teams are sure to be enamored by his upside in that role.
CFB Week 10 Update
Barham was a bit quieter in Week 10 against the Purdue Boilermakers. He proved competent as a run defender and sturdy presence encumbering gaps, but failed to generate consistent pass-rush pandemonium — an uncharacteristic quality for Barham in a given game.
Barham is a bit raw as a pass-rusher past the pure explosiveness and power profile, and that may have something to do with it. Ultimately, his projection as a developmental EDGE with an attack-only profile on off-ball reps could turn some teams away, but the physical talent remains alluring.
CFB Week 11 Update
Michigan was on a bye in Week 11. They’ll return to action in Week 12 against the Northwestern Wildcats.
CFB Week 12 Update
Barham helped the Michigan Wolverines escape a near-upset against Northwestern in Week 12, securing a tackle for loss and two pass deflections close to the line of scrimmage. Barham’s best trait has always been his pass-rush and attacking upside with his speed, bend, and play strength, but this week, he made a conscious effort to get his hands up and occlude passing lanes, and he helped generate incompletions as a result.
With no eligibility left, Barham will have to make the NFL leap with ingrained uncertainty in his report, but teams will undeniably be intrigued by his pass-rush potential and playmaking motor as a true EDGE convert.
Where Is Barham Being Selected Most Often in the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator?
Barham currently holds the No. 35 overall rank among prospects, positioning him as a Day 2 prospect. His most recent Average Draft Position (ADP) of 45.5 as of November 19 reflects that he is typically being selected in the second or third round.
The gap between his rank and ADP indicates that while he’s highly regarded on our board, draft simulators are seeing him slide slightly, possibly due to team needs or positional value considerations.
Users controlling the Jacksonville Jaguars have been the team that selected Barham the most frequently over the past week, accounting for 1.7% of their picks across all seven rounds.
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Where Does Jaishawn Barham Rank Amongst Other NFL Draft Prospects?
Barham is currently ranked No. 81 overall in my November 2026 NFL Draft Big Board. Among LB/EDGE prospects, Barham ranks 2nd at the position, trailing Arvell Reese. Currently ranked in the top 100, Barham will look to increase their draft stock in the coming months.
Want to see how we rank all the draft prospects in the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator? Check out our NFL Draft Prospect Rankings page, which includes more than 750 prospects.
