Even with just one pick on Day 2 of the NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys managed to be entertaining.
Trading for 49ers linebacker Dee Winters softened the blow of not having a second-round pick, but don’t forget Dallas wouldn’t have had a third, either, if it hadn’t dealt defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to San Francisco in March.
Trading Odighizuwa was a hard one to swallow for Cowboys fans. It's one thing to move on from a key contributor, but sending one of the defense's few bright spots to a longtime conference rival -- and a recent playoff thorn to boot -- only made it cut deeper. It had echoes of the Micah Parsons trade.
The trade was finalized Friday night when the Cowboys used the No. 92 overall pick, acquired from the 49ers for Osa Odighizuwa, on versatile Michigan defender Jaishawn Barham.
That's a feather in Dallas' cap.
The Dallas Cowboys' Osa Odighizuwa trade looks a lot better after the Jaishawn Barham pick
Barham was the No. 69 player on the expert consensus board. Getting him at the end of Round 3 is incredible value, and his ability to play off-ball linebacker and rush the passer gives Christian Parker yet another chess piece to design plays for.
The former Wolverine will have to live up to the billing to make trading Odighizuwa worthwhile, but in terms of immediate returns, the trade looks much better now that the pick was used on Barham.
Cowboys fans know the team is no stranger to head-scratching Day 2 picks. Luke Schoonmaker (No. 58 overall), Marist Liufau (No. 87), Sam Williams (No. 56), and Kelvin Joseph (No. 44) are recent examples that haven't panned out in Dallas.
But there are far more success stories, including Odighizuwa, Trevon Diggs, Cooper Beebe, Chauncey Golston, Jourdan Lewis, Michael Gallup, and many more.
History is on Barham's side, and there's a lot to love about his game. According to Pro Football Focus, the young defender tallied a 90.4 run-defense grade and a respectable 71.6 pass-rush grade last season. Not bad for someone who's still learning how to rush the passer.
Much like first-round pick Caleb Downs (still doesn't feel real), Barham can be a weapon for Christian Parker, not just an off-ball linebacker or an edge. He can impact the game in a variety of ways, including making plays in coverage.
Barham’s versatility fits exactly what Christian Parker wants in a “multiple” defense, while Osa Odighizuwa was trending toward a reduced role. It’s obviously too early to declare a winner, but the trade looks much better from Dallas’ perspective after the Barham selection.
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