Michigan's Jaishawn Barham, a versatile edge rusher, brings proven talent and adaptability as the Buccaneers eye the draft's top defensive prospects.
We will find out soon whether the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will decide to add to their edge room when the 2026 NFL draft kicks off Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
Tampa Bay owns seven picks, including three in the top 100, and will make its opening selection at No. 15.
BucsRoundtable is taking a closer look at potential fits for the Bucs, with respect to the current roster, positions of need, and the X's and O's of the team's on-field schemes.
Bucs Roundtable's previous profiles of top defensive talent in the 2026 draft include defensive ends Cashius Howell from Texas A&M, Miami Hurricane Akheem Mesidor, as well as elite linebackers like Indiana's Aiden Fisher and Georgia's CJ Allen, Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. and Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton.
Here, we feature Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham.
Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham tackles New Mexico quarterback Jack Layne as the Wolverines host the Lobos on Aug. 30, 2025 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. (Junfu Han/Imagn Images)A Quick Study
By the end of his college career, Barham was an edge rusher, but it wasn't always that way. Barham moved to the edge from serving as an off-ball linebacker three games into his senior season.
It worked out well, with Barham earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.
Michigan's Jaishawn Barham looks into the backfield against the Terrapins' offense on Nov. 22, 2025, at Byrd Stadium in College Park, Maryland. (Tommy Gilligan/Imagn Images)Background & College Career
The Baltimore, Maryland, native started his college career at a different position and at a different school.
He played the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Maryland and instantly became a contributor, becoming a freshman All-American in 2022. He ended that season starting all 12 games, leading the team with 6.5 tackles for loss and tying for the team lead with four sacks. The next season, he was named All-Big Ten honorable mention for the first time, starting 11 games and ending the year with three sacks, 37 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup.
After that season, Barham transferred to Michigan. He started all 13 games in 2024, ending the year with a sack, 66 tackles and 3.5 TFLs.
In 2025, he was again named All-Big Ten honorable mention, this time playing a new position. He played in 12 games, starting 11, and ended the year with 10 TFLs, 32 tackles and four sacks.
Michigan's Jaishawn Barham arrives at the Big House ahead of the Wolverines' game against Washington on Oct. 18, 2025, in Ann Arbor. (Junfu Han/Imagn Images)On-Field Strengths
Barham is a fast learner, already developing into one of the best edge rushers in the Big Ten with only a few months of experience under his belt. At 6-foot-3.5 and 240 pounds, Barham is slightly undersized for a defensive end, but can make up for that size with his athleticism.
In his draft profile of Barham for NFL.com, Lance Zierlein likened him to Miami Dolphins defensive end Chop Robinson.
"His bend and reactive agility create unlikely tackle chances that few can find," Zierlein wrote. "His intensity and motor are top-tier, but he needs to play with better discipline to avoid negative snaps. With explosive traits and inside-outside versatility, he projects as an impactful future starter once his technique catches up."
Michigan defensive lineman Jaishawn Barham runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL combine at Lucas Oil Stadium Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)Areas for Improvement
At this point, Barham is still raw due to his relative lack of experience on the edge. Barham can also be overly aggressive at times. Per Pro Football Focus, his missed tackle rate was above 17 percent (15 percent is considered high). Barham also had the most penalties of his career with six in 2025 despite playing the fewest snaps (375 per PFF compared to 626 in 2024).
Combine Performance
At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Barham ran the 40-yard dash in 4.64 seconds, which is above average for the edge position. His 33" vertical jump was right around average, and his 10-foot-3-inch broad jump was well above average.
NFL.com gave Barham a total prospect score of 63, which ranked him 30th amongst DE/edge prospects at the Combine.
This has less to do with Barham's overall ability and more to do with him being a "tweener," not firmly established at one position.
Prospect Draft Position
The NFL Mock Draft Database has Barham as the No. 88 overall prospect, which would place him in the third round. None of the mock drafts compiled in the database, which include sources such as The Athletic and USA Today, have Barham going to the Bucs.
Many expect the Bucs to take an edge rusher in the first round and use the rest of the draft to address other needs.
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