ESPN INSIDER

OVERALL FOOTBALL TRAITS:

Production 2
2006: (10/1) 9 tackles, 1 FF.
2007: (12/12) 80 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1 INT, 4 PBU, 1 FF.
2008: (13/13) 59 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 4 PBU, 2 FR, 1 FF.
2009: (13/13) 78 tackles, 4.5 TFL, .5 sack, 5 INT, 4 PBU. Second-team All-Big Ten.

Height-Weight-Speed 2
Possesses good height and bulk to frame along with above-average top-end speed.

Durability 1
Durability does not appear to be an issue as he has had no injuries that we are currently aware of throughout career.

Intangibles 2
Voted team captain for senior season. Three year academic All-Big Ten selection (2007-09) and recipient of the Forest Evashenski Scholastic Achievement Award given to the player who displays a high degree of efficiency both in the classroom and on the field.



OUTSIDE LINEBACKER SPECIFIC TRAITS:

Instincts/Recognition 2
Does a good job finding and reacting to the play. Recognizes outside run and does a good job of keeping outside leverage. Disciplined and rarely bites on play action. Seen communicating and lining up teammates pre snap. Needs to show quicker recognition of screens both out of the backfield and on the perimeter to receivers.

Strength/Toughness 3
Plays with good leverage and balance. Locks out arms to stack tight ends when lined up along the line of scrimmage. Needs to show more violence and tenacity at the point of attack and will run around blocks on occasion. Can set the edge working against tight ends but can get engulfed by bigger offensive tackles or when taking on double teams. Gives consistent effort in pursuit.

Range vs. Run 4
Shows good lateral movement when keeping shoulders square and working down the line. However, is tight in the hips when asked to turn and run when changing directions. Closing burst is average. Takes good angles in pursuit and wades through trash well.

Tackling 2
A strong overall tackler. Not a consistent drive through tackler and lacks explosiveness in hips to deliver violent strike. Fundamentally sound in the open field and does a nice job of breaking down to secure tackle.

3rd Down Capabilities 3
He is a mixed bag in this area. On one hand, very reliable dropping into coverage. Gets proper depth in drop zone and keeps head on swivel to locate crossers in his area. Also shows awareness to find and get underneath throwing lanes. Does a nice job of carrying slot receivers or tight ends to the safety in cover two scheme. Possesses above average ball skills and can consistently come down with interception. On the flip side, he has limitations in man coverage and is not much of a pass rusher at this point. Lacks power and does not display a variety of pass rushing moves coming off the edge. Does not have closing burst to consistently get home when having clear run at quarterback.

1 = Exceptional
2 = Above average
3 = Average
4 = Below average
5 = Marginal

"EXPERT COMMENTS"

ESPN SCOUTS INC
What he brings: Edds is a bit of a reach here but not a surprise. He has the instincts and intelligence that a guy like Bill Parcells covets at the linebacker position. He is a bit limited as far as overall athleticism and range but compensates with great angles in pursuit and ability to hold up in coverage.

How he fits: The Dolphins definitely needed OLB depth and additional talent in this draft. While Edds lacks the upside and playmaking talent of Koa Misi, his toughness and smarts will complement Misi well. He'll be in competition with Cameron Wake, but both of these players will have a real chance to start for the Dolphins as the season progresses.

NFL.COM
The Dolphins add A.J Edds to provide depth to their linebacker corps and special teams units. Though he isn't regarded as a great athlete, Edds is a high-motor player with the toughness and competitiveness to excel as a back up.

I like the pick... we're very thin at LB and we could definitely use a coverage guy in that unit...

This video is great on him:


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The draft "experts" are calling this guy a reach at this position. So we traded up for a 'reach'? I'm more skeptical of the 'draft experts' than I am Ireland, but it makes you wonder why we traded up for the guy?

The draft "experts" are calling this guy a reach at this position. So we traded up for a 'reach'? I'm more skeptical of the 'draft experts' than I am Ireland, but it makes you wonder why we traded up for the guy?

Look through the last 5 years drafts at the "experts" top picks........... They can reach into a bucket of acid for all I care... We have a need at coverage LB's, and this guy is a coverage LB... Why is he a "reach"

Like someone else said, you gotta like his coverage skills. He is going to help us tremendously against those tight ends across the middle. I just wish we had an extra third or fourth rounder to have spent on a free safety.

Depends on the experts you are referring to. WalterFootball.com likes the pick a lot and had Edds rated as a 3rd round guy. Pete Prisco from cbssportsline likes the pick as well and gave Miami a B for the pick. WalterFootball.com gave Miami an A.

What is your feeling on Edds, Iowa?

I like him. I wasn't sure he'd be a guy that Miami would look at, but he's big and has a nose for the football. Every Iowa linebacker is stout, plays low and makes plays. Obviously I'm biased though.

The Dolphins came back to outside linebacker with their first pick of Day 3 of the 2010 NFL Draft, trading up seven spots to take A.J. Edds of Iowa in the fourth round.

A three-year starter for the Hawkeyes, Edds is a 6-foot-4, 246-pounder who ranked fourth on the team last season with 78 tackles. His five interceptions tied for fourth-best in the Big Ten and 32nd in the nation.

Along with Jeremiah Hunter and Pat Angerer, he was part of a linebacker corps that combined for 312 tackles.


Edds was an Academic All-America his last three seasons and served as defensive captain for the Hawkeyes.

Edds is the fourth player taken by Miami to have played in the Senior Bowl, though he played for the North side. He said he did have conversations at the team hotel with the Dolphins coaching staff, which coached the South.

After playing in a 4-3 at Iowa, he’ll be asked to make the switch to a 3-4 in Miami. “I don’t see that as a huge challenge,” he said.

Edds played for the Hawkeyes in the 2010 Orange Bowl, where they beat Georgia Tech 24-14. “To be honest,” he said, “the idea of coming back to play in that same (Sun Life) stadium was the further thing from my mind.”

The Dolphins traded their sixth-round pick (No. 179) to the Cowboys to move up from No. 126 to No. 119 to get Edds. They now have five picks remaining. Their next pick is the 14th pick in the fifth round, No. 145 overall.

hard nosed sounds like...a little like Zach, only bigger?

thanks iowa

Bess was an undrafted guy out of Hawaii. But, I do understand your point. That's why I can't believe they even employ a guy like Kiper. He's so off on most of the things he says and then when he's wrong he blames the FO of teams.

Traded up 7 spots, and gave up a 6th.

I don't know how he fits our D. He's not a good enough pass rusher to be a 34 OLB. He's more likely a 3rd down coverage LB. Not sure why, but....

• Iowa outside linebacker A.J. Edds: Didn't rush the passer much (2.5 career sacks) but skilled in coverage (seven career interceptions). ESPN's Scouts Inc. called him ``a bit of a reach. Lacks the upside and playmaking of Misi'' but ``his toughness and smarts will complement Misi well.'' NFL Network's Mike Mayock believes he's better at inside linebacker in Miami's defense.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/24/1 ... z0m4DC2GbP

Maybe that's why Ireland could predict fourth-rounder A.J. Edds, an inside linebacker from Iowa, would come in and immediately contribute on as a third-down coverage specialist.

Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland said he expects an immediate impact from Edds, a three-year starter for the Hawkeyes whose coverage skills are NFL-ready.

An outside linebacker for Iowa, Edds had five interceptions in 2009 and routinely covered tight ends and even slot receivers. While Edds will play inside linebacker in the NFL, Ireland said he has the tools to excel in the team's nickel-coverage packages this season.

"He's a very good cover linebacker," Ireland said. "He's big (6-3, 246) and he's very fast (4.6-range in the 40) for the position."

Edds also was a team captain and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten Conference selection that scored a 31 (out of 50) on his Wonderlic Test - highest among Dolphins rookies.

"Great kid, top character, excellent worker," Ireland said of Edds.