By trading for Dee Winters and selecting Michigan hybrid Jaishawn Barham in the third round, the Dallas Cowboys have remade their linebacker room during the NFL Draft.
While improved, it still lacks a field general to don the green dot. Unless the Cowboys plan to give that to first-round pick Caleb Downs, they should kick the tires on another trade for a veteran.
Why not revisit their interest in Miami Dolphins star Jordyn Brooks? He still hasn't signed an extension, and Miami has now drafted multiple linebackers this weekend after selecting Pittsburgh standout Kyle Louis in the fourth round.
This comes after the Dolphins selected Texas Tech phenom Jacob Rodriguez, widely viewed as the second-best LB in the class and a possible like-for-like replacement for Brooks, on Day 2.
Jerry Jones and friends should be blowing up the Dolphins' phone line, if they aren't already.
The Dallas Cowboys may have hope of trading for Jordyn Brooks after all
The Dolphins' Rodriguez pick has Shayne Kubas of Phin Phanatic wondering if Brooks has played his last snap in South Florida.
"As much as I love the selection, it's hard not to immediately wonder about the future of All-Pro linebacker Jordyn Brooks. Brooks is in the final year of the three-year contract he signed with Miami back in 2024, and the new front office has no ties to him."
That, ladies and gentlemen, is Jerry Jones' music.
The newfound confidence in Dallas' linebacker corps is warranted, but if the season started tomorrow, Barham would be asked to play a lot of snaps.
Not only is that a tall ask for a third-round pick, but the former Wolverine has the versatility to rush the passer off the edge. He can be a chess piece for Christian Parker and shouldn't be pigeon-holed into one role. He wasn't drafted to just play off-ball linebacker.
Furthermore, relying on DeMarvion Overshown to play a full season is risky. Two devastating knee injuries have limited Overshown to 19 games in three seasons since he was drafted No. 90 overall in 2023. He's shown All-Pro potential when healthy, but availability has been a massive issue.
Even with the additions Dallas made on Day 2, trading for Brooks makes a lot of sense. He was arguably the best off-ball linebacker in football last season, ranking third among all LBs with a 92.0 run-defense grade and 11th with a 75.0 pass-rush grade, per Pro Football Focus.
When it comes to reading, reacting, and shooting the right gaps with ferocity, Brooks is as good as it gets at the position. Pair that with Downs dropping into the box, and you’re talking about a nightmare for opposing offenses.
It would be nonsensical for the Cowboys to think their linebacker room is ready to roll for the 2026 season. The Dolphins may have reopened the Brooks trade window after drafting Louis right on the heels of Rodriguez.
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