It’s well known that Todd Bowles likes “chess piece” defensive players.

Bowles has long had love affairs with players who can do multiple things, be cross-trained successfully and have enough athleticism to be moved around.

Two years ago, edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka got the Magnus Carlsen award from Bowles.

“Joe can move all across the line of scrimmage and help us with a lot of things. He’s our linebacker. He’s our defensive end. He’s our 3-tech. He’s our part-time nickel. He’s our part-time inside linebacker,” Bowles said of JTS. “He can come from a lot of areas so he has a lot of jobs. And he’s one of those chess pieces that I talked about.”

Unfortunately, Tryon-Shoyinka was more pawn than rook. And the Browns and Bears learned that last season. Now he’s on the Eagles.

Defensive backs? Bowles loves interchangeable players. Notice how Bowles changes nickel cornerbacks every year? That’s no coincidence.

Logan Hall was the Bucs’ first draft pick in 2022 as a clear tweener — defensive tackle/edge rusher.

So Joe is wondering if Bowles and Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht might be smitten by another tweener/hybrid/versatile type in next week’s draft: Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham. Is he an inside linebacker in Bowles’ scheme, an edge rusher?

Barham played inside linebacker for most of his four-year-starter career at Maryland and Michigan, but he bounced to edge rusher for a bunch of games last season and did well.

Of course, Joe assumes any educated Michigan man understands NFL edge rushers earn a lot more than linebackers if they get to a second NFL contract.

Regardless, there’s no consensus among the film gurus on where Barham is best suited at 6-4, 240 pounds. And that might make him a Bucs-Bowles kind of guy. He’s largely viewed as a third- or fourth-round pick.

NFL.com film guru Lance Zierlein compares Barham to Chop Robinson, who made an impact as a first-round rookie edge rusher for the 2024 Dolphins. Former Todd Bowles defensive end (Jets) Leger Douzable, who works for SiriusXM NFL Radio and CBS, raved about Barham’s Maryland film and is struck by his versatility.

Joe likes how it was Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, the highly successful former Ravens defensive coordinator, that coached Barham the past two seasons and pushed him to edge rusher early last season. And kudos to Barham for thriving in a hurry.

TheAthletic.com draft guru Dan Brugler notes Brugler is lacking in instincts and wins primarily with “speed, physicality and body twitch,” along with an “overdrive” motor.

Whether off-ball or on the edge, Jaishawn Barham’s game is pretty simple:

See ball, get ball. pic.twitter.com/UgR3o7z34o

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 22, 2026