Dallas Cowboys rookie has become the main event ahead of first padded practice, and it’s not Caleb Downs
The Dallas Cowboys’ third-round rookie is off to a hot start in training camp, and the best is yet to come as the team gears up for the first padded practice on Monday.
The Dallas Cowboys will hold their fourth training camp practice on Monday, but it will be their first with pads. That changes everything, as live contact completely flips the dynamic and makes player evaluation slightly easier.
And for some, it’s a chance to prove what they do best. That includes Cowboys third-round rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham, who has consistently turned heads at practice so far. Suddenly, he has a chance to log significant reps in Year 1. And padded practices could go a long way.
Barham is having a great start to Cowboys camp
At 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, Barham’s frame makes him look like an intimidating player. When pads come on Monday, he’ll get to show why. His collegiate film showed an aggressive and explosive player who moved from inside linebacker to EDGE in 2025 (the Cowboys are seemingly planning to use him as a versatile inside LB).
Simply put, he’s a violent player.
But that’s not quite what’s gotten the attention of Cowboys coaches before pads. It’s his ability to learn in order to be versatile. Asked why everyone keeps talking about Barham very positively, head coach Brian Schottenheimer knew what to point to immediately.
“I would say (Barham’s) ability to apply the things we’re coaching,” Schottenheimer said. “We’re putting him in some different spots, which is really cool. But I’d say that’s been the thing that’s been most impressive. You see and know the physicalness, but the ability to pick it up and apply it, I think, has been great.”
Barham is in the right spot often
I don’t mean to overreact, but to Schottenheimer’s point, we’ve seen multiple plays in practice where Barham is right where he should be. That includes, believe it or not, a pass breakup for a pass intended for wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
In that play, Barham walks down to the line of scrimmage as the Cowboys defense shows a five-man front. He ends up dropping back back as part of a simulated pressure with both outside linebackers (Malachi Lawrence on the other end) dropping into coverage and middle linebacker DeMarvion Overshown blitzing.
Barham is quick to read Dak Prescott’s eyes and extends his arm to break up target to Lamb in what appears to be a slant route.
Barham’s had his moments versus the run, as well. Below, you can see a play that would have been a tackle for loss. The Cowboys rookie does a good job capitalizing on a pressure look in which DT Kenny Clark crosses the face of right guard Tyler Booker, who follows him long enough to free Barham as a blitzer.
The latter does a great job to position himself for what would’ve been a violent hit in a live contact drill.
In the post below, Cowboys expert John Owning does a great job breaking down another play in which Barham takes “an aggressive angle to back door Tyler Booker” and square up against RB Javonte Williams to make the tackle. Again, another instance of him being in the right place, a testament to Schottenheimer’s praise about him putting two and two together quickly.
The Cowboys drafted Barham in the third round in April. It’s still early but Barham will be looking like a draft steal in no time if he continues this trend.
That starts with him showing his physicality and violent style of play on Monday.
