In the Dallas Cowboys‘ Week 1 loss to the Giants, one of the notable scenes to emerge was a difficult and almost confrontational conversation on the sideline between rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham and new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Barham got up in tears and looking angry in the clip, which went viral and sparked questions for the team at every level–players, coaches and even the front office were asked about it.
In Week 2, a much different video clip emerged on social media. This time, it was after the crucial forced fumble that Barham had on Dyami Brown of the Commanders, one that set up a touchdown that put the Cowboys ahead by two scores. The ball from that turnover was given to Barham on the sideline, who walked to Parker and handed it to him, saying, “This for you.”
Parker told him, “Good job. Gotta go get another one, OK?”
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Indeed, while his mistakes in his NFL debut for the Cowboys against the Giants caught most of the attention after Week 1, after Week 2, the reviews of Barham were much more encouraging. The third-round pick from Michigan was a star of the preseason, and now, with DeMarvion Overshown out because of a hamstring injury, Barham is shining on the big stage.
Many teams passed on Barham because he was a tweener in college, not quite a linebacker and not quite an edge rusher. But the Cowboys liked him as a football player and bet that he’d figure out his role as he progressed. That’s already happening.
Cowboys Getting Pure LB Play From Jaishawn Barham
Pro Football Focus has him graded as the top rookie, and as the No. 3 linebacker out of all 71 in the NFL. The site also points out that while Overshown (and the defense in general) has struggled, Barham offers some hope in that he has been a pure linebacker in his first two weeks in the league.
From PFF: “What’s impressive about Barham is that he hasn’t been utilized in the role that many expected coming out of Michigan. While Barham was viewed as almost a pass-rushing-oriented, tweener linebacker, he seems to have already settled in nicely while operating as a more traditional box player.
“Indeed, Barham has only rushed the passer four times on his 79 snaps, 69 of which have come in the box. Ironically, he has just one pressure to his credit — but he’s thrived in almost every other dimension.”
Jaishawn Barham With the ‘Green Dot’
Barham has also drawn praise from the Cowboys star veterans, including quarterback Dak Prescott and defensive lineman Quinnen Williams. He wore the “green dot” in Week 2, meaning he was responsible for organizing the pre-snap defense.
Said Williams on Sunday night: “The plays he has been making are superdope, I have seen him make them in practice. I’m super-confident in him. Like I say, keep building on the things he do well, just like all of us, we got to keep building on the things we’ve got to correct. He played a great game. He played phenomenal.
“When it comes to wearing the green dot as a rookie, second game of the year, getting everybody in order, especially up front. Different things like that. Just continue to improve—we all have huge trust in him.”
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