FRISCO, Texas — Believe it or not, but Jaishawn Barham spoke words into a microphone and in front of camera following the Dallas Cowboys' first official training camp practice in Dallas. It's the first time he's chosen to do so since he was selected in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
And though his words were few, they delivered his points with terrifying potency.
Barham, having had a very strong showing in Oxnard that was paused by a minor groin injury, has since returned and made his preseason debut on Saturday in the Cowboys' win over the Arizona Cardinals — also playing a key role in that victory at the middle linebacker position.
"It feels good to be out there," he said, still refusing to stretch the corners of his mouth into anything that even remotely resembles a smile. "It means a lot [for the coaches to trust me at middle linebacker], but I still got a lot of work to do. I'm just trying to get better every day. I'm trusting the coaches and I'm trusting my teammates."
In playing the MIKE (middle LB), Barham has also been tested with green dot responsibilities that require him to command the defense and convey plays called from the sideline by defensive coordinator Christian Parker to the other 10 players.
That's not something Barham is shying away from, nor has he ever.
"It feels normal," he said. "I did it in college. Just working to step it up in the NFL, having to call plays and [commanding] the defense. So it's all about getting used to it."
There are plenty of reasons the Cowboys gave Barham the nod with the 92nd overall pick this past April. Some have already been put on display in camp practices and against the Cardinals, namely his physicality and elusiveness, but Barham wants it to be known that he has plenty more in his bag than simply those two attributes and a high football acumen.
"My hands, my height, playing low sideline-to-sideline, my coverage — I feel like all-around, but I'm not perfect," he explained. "I mean, of course, [the physicality is] something. That's one thing that I showed. But, of course, there's many things that I can use, and we're going to see as the season goes along."
And, with that, Barham will prepare to take the field for his second preseason outing in the training camp finale against the New Orleans Saints, the same team that visited Oxnard for a joint practice that went off the rails and led to a hefty fine from the league for both organizations.
There's no love lost between the teams, historically, and Barham has joined that tradition, but his angst isn't only directed at the Saints.
It's toward every NFL team not wearing a Cowboys' uniform, and he'd love it if the regular season began today and not on Sept. 13.
"I don't like them," he said. "I don't like any team we play. I treat every team the same, straight up. … I'm ready right now. If we had to run one right now, I'm ready."
