The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a month away, and the majority of the talk is about what will happen in the first round of the draft. However, round one is just the start of the three-day, seven-round event, and the most successful teams win on all three days of the draft. The Buffalo Bills are trying to be one of those teams, so it’s time to start thinking about prospects they could target after the first round.
Draft analyst Matt Miller, in a recent ESPN piece, listed one prospect who could be a good day-two pickup for the Bills. Understanding that edge is one of the team’s biggest needs, Miller made a case for Buffalo targeting Jaishawn Barham out of Michigan.
Michigan edge Jaishawn Barham named a good fit for Bills
Bills reporter Alaina Getzenberg pointed out how the team recently signed veteran edge defender Bradley Chubb, but emphasized the importance of finding long-term help at the position. That’s where Barham fits in, whom Miller thinks can go in the second or third round.
The draft analyst details that he’s somewhat of a gamble because he’s still adjusting to being an edge defender after starting out as an off-ball linebacker. However, Barham has tools that a team like Buffalo would absolutely love to work with.
"Jaishawn Barham, Edge, Michigan. He is still learning the edge position after moving from linebacker, but Barham has the type of burst that the Bills have been missing. He's a projected Round 3 prospect who could move up, depending on how many edge rushers go off the board in Round 1."Matt Miller (ESPN)
The prospect started his collegiate career at Maryland, playing two seasons, before spending the last two years at Michigan. At 6-foot-3 1/2 and 240 pounds, he used his size and athleticism to be a versatile defender in college. Focusing in now on the edge position, teams like the Bills will have to decide if they want to use such an early pick on a player who’s still getting familiar with a new spot.
While that is scary, it’s also exciting, because Barham might just be scratching the surface of his potential. If he evolves into a really productive edge defender, he could end up being one of the steals of the draft.