It's no secret that the Cowboys' linebacking room just found (possibly) their next future star in third-round pick Jaishawn Barham. He scored an 89.9 Pro Football Focus grade and looked dominant in run defense with lots of energy against the Arizona Cardinals. He made his mark as a rotational defensive piece, and he's going to be playing in a lot of football.
That was also repeated by ESPN's Louis Riddick on Get Up, who said that if the Cowboys didn't win with the Caleb Downs pick (which they did), Barham would be the most important part of this rookie class. He even went as far as to put Barham above Downs. Here's what Riddick said on the show:
"(Barham) to me, outside of Caleb, maybe even more so than Caleb, may be the consequential draft pick that they made this year. This guy could be the best linebacker they have had there since Sean Lee back in the early 2010s."
Could Jaishawn Barham be the best Cowboys' LB since Sean Lee?
Maybe, but still a long way to go. There's a path for that, but Barham is someone who goes 110 percent on every play. Someone with that mentality and attitude will have many options in the NFL.
Compared to Lee, both are similar in weight, in the vicinity of 240-245 pounds, and Barham is about an inch taller. Lee was a great player in pass coverage and a run stopper. But he broke out in a game against the Colts in his rookie year when he picked up two interceptions. Additionally, he showed what he can do with his legs as he ran one in for a pick-six.
Lee is one of the best and still one of the most underrated Cowboys legends in history, but as he got older, injuries began to take their toll. He finished with 802 tackles, 14 interceptions, 59 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Barham has the potential to reach that, but going out in coverage will need some work. He doesn't quite have the footwork tools Lee had as a rookie, but hey, that's OK too. Barham can be a dominant, efficient run stopper if that's the area he focuses on.
It's not like the Cowboys don't have their true Sean Lee replacement in their arms now, either. DeMarvion Overshown says he can be the best LB in the game, and if he can be Mr. Everything at the position, the Cowboys will have two victories at LB.
But Riddick is not wrong to be hyped about Barham. He may be trending above Downs right now in terms of rookie selections, and it's not crazy to agree with that.
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