Jaishawn Barham: A Dark Horse 26′ Defensive Rookie of the Year Candidate – Cody Warren, Inside The Star
The Cowboys will need a pass rush by committee approach this season, and rookie Jaishawn Barham could fit into that very well.
Christian Parker has a defender, much like Downs, who he can move around the defensive front seven. Barham can play just about every position from linebacker to the defensive line.
We don’t have to watch Dallas force this guy into a job. If Christian Parker is as advertised, he will find a way to put this young man in a position to succeed. Or find the position that Barham
can cause the most havoc and keep using him there.
Jaishawn Barham Gives Dallas Options
I would hate to see the Cowboys line Jaishawn Barham up at inside linebacker every snap and just call it good.
He can do much more than that.
At Michigan, Jaishawn Barham handled linebacker duties while also succeeding near the line. He has the size to fight through traffic and enough burst to make a quarterback nervous.
I would keep him inside against a running team and let him get downhill. He could even spy a mobile quarterback, and on passing downs, walk him up to the line and make the offense decide if he’s coming or not.
I want to see that kind of uncertainty from this defense.
Cowboys 2026 roster rundown: DT LT Overton – Jess Haynie, Blogging The Boys
LT Overton was a great pick to help the Cowboys continue adding size to the defensive line.
Background
Years in NFL: 0
Acquired by: 2026 4th-round pickOverton is no stranger to change. He spent 2022-2023 at Texas A&M before transferring to Alabama, where he’s started the last two years at edge. He posted career highs as a senior with 26 solo tackles, six tackles for loss, and four sacks. Overton just missed playing college ball with fellow Cowboys rookie Caleb Downs, who left the Crimson Tide for Ohio State in the same offseason that Overton left the Aggies.
Despite the extra recognition from playing at Alabama, Overton only had middling appeal in the 2026 draft class. He was too big and not athletic enough for the modern NFL pass rusher, looking more like a run stopper. There was pre-draft talk that he might fare best by bulking up and moving inside, and that’s exactly what the Cowboys saw in Overton when they use a late fourth-round pick to select him.
2026 Projections
Role: Backup DT
Roster Chance: 95%That said, we expect Overton to at least get a season. The Cowboys took him with a clear plan to move him inside. While he may not be a traditional 3-4 defensive end, Overton does fit the modern build of athletic 3-tech tackles. He will likely see work in nickel and other formations where size isn’t as important up front, rotating with veteran Jonathan Bullard as similar players.
The transition may keep Overton on the sideline most of the year, or at least the early portion. He will need to learn technique while also developing physically for the role. We’ll probably see more of Bullard and Otito Ogbonnia in the rotation with Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark. There are some excellent mentors for Overton in that group, hopefully helping him to develop quickly. If the Cowboys are going to carry him on the 53-man roster this year, he may end up having to play more once any of the veterans gets injured.
Role Call: Jalen Thompson has the IQ, versatility to lead Cowboys – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
Even before drafting Caleb Downs, the Cowboys made a splash on the backend of the defense by signing Jalen Thompson.
How He Got Here:
Jalen Thompson began his journey to the NFL in Compton, where he began to make a name for himself at La Serna High School before transferring to Downey High School, ultimately finding his way as a three-star recruit to Washington State. He went on to earn Second-team All-Pac 12 honors (2017), catching the eye of NFL scouts in the process, and ultimately got the call from the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft — where he spent seven seasons before signing with the Cowboys in 2026, reuniting with secondary coach Ryan Smith in the process.
Plenty — Thompson’s exceedingly high football IQ and versatility makes him a ready-made fit for what defensive coordinator Christian Parker wants in a defensive back. The 27-year-old was signed to multi-year deal in free agency for a reason, and that’s because he’s part of a bigger long-term solution in the Cowboys’ defensive backfield. Expect to see him move around between free safety, strong safety and nickel corner, with a rep or two at off-ball linebacker mixed in as well, at times. Thompson is a field general of the highest order (which is why he’s a green dot candidate) and is expected to combine with rookie first-round pick Caleb Downs to help turn Dallas’ secondary into something … different.
Did You Know:
Caleb Downs enters as the headline defensive acquisition by the Cowboys this offseason, but Thompson is one of the most important additions in free agency ahead of the NFL Draft that sent Downs to Dallas. Thompson provides a veteran presence but at the age of 27, an exceptional mix of youth and experience.
NFL coach hits the nail on the head with Cowboys’ George Pickens conundrum – Levi Dombro, The Landry Hat
The Cowboys want to see a repeat performance from George Pickens alongside CeeDee Lamb in 2026.
NFL coach perfectly encapsulates George Pickens issue Dallas Cowboys are grappling with
Hidden in the top 10 NFL wide receiver rankings that ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler compiled by polling executives, coaches and scouts around the league was a quote from an anonymous NFL offensive coach about Pickens, who came in at No. 7 on this list, just one spot behind CeeDee Lamb:
“One of the best I’ve ever seen at the contested catch,” a veteran NFL offensive coach said. “There’s such untapped ability there. It’s just a consistency issue and where his head’s at week to week.”
That is the perfect encapsulation of the Cowboys’ Pickens conundrum.
On the one hand, Pickens does things on a football field that even some of the best NFL wide receivers can’t dream of. When Pickens is on, he’s on, and there is no stopping him. Scarier for other teams is the fact that he may not have even reached the peak of his powers yet in his young career.
And yet consistency is an issue for Pickens, who had almost as many games with fewer than 40 receiving yards (4) as games with over 130 (5). That is a wide range of outcomes for a team to expect from a player in a game, especially one who may be getting paid in the ballpark of $40 million annually.
Dak Prescott’s Super Bowl comments spark the wrong question about the Dallas Cowboys’ 2026 season – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports
The Cowboys are looking for their first playoff berth in three seasons, and first under Brian Schottenheimer.
“Each year you think that, but when you have the last year that we did, the offense that we did, you’ve been making changes and you’ve got a great defensive coordinator and you’ve got young guys, old guys, a great mix of veterans with talent, and us understanding what needs to be done,” Prescott said. He added that if a teammate doesn’t share that mentality, “honestly, I don’t want you on my team.”
That’s what you want to hear from your quarterback. You never want to hear Prescott say the team would settle for a playoff appearance. And he’s not alone. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer recently said in an interview that his plan is to be playing in the Super Bowl on Feb. 14. Whether it comes off as wildly optimistic, realistic, or straight out of a fantasy is not for us to say. But clearly, the organization is leaning into the conversation rather than dodging it.
But are they that good?
Here’s the thing about that label, though. It typically applies to teams so loaded that anything short of a championship feels like a failure. Take the Los Angeles Rams. They traded for Myles Garrett, acquired cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, retained Matthew Stafford, and are coming off an NFC Championship Game appearance. Reports suggest Aaron Donald is even considering a return from retirement. That is a Super Bowl-or-bust roster.
The Cowboys are not. For starters, they won seven games last year. Betting projections have them winning around 10 games, and in the current playoff format with three wild-card spots and 17 games, 10 wins doesn’t guarantee anything. Most playoff teams recently have needed 11 wins, and at 10, you’re sweating tiebreakers.
Daily discussion question: What is the floor on this team in your opinion?
