2010 NFL Draft: Iowa's A.J. Edds a Smart Choice for Packers, Falcons

Of the current Iowa players with a chance of being drafted this year, A.J. Edds could be the sleeper of the bunch.

Don't be fooled by the fact that he looks like a young Dr. Emmett Brown from Back to the Future. He is an intelligent linebacker who has more than a few NFL teams foaming at the mouth for a chance to pick him up in the draft.

"Oh, my God, they found me. I don't know how, but they found me. Run for it Marty! "

As a linebacker and tight end in high school, he was a finalist for Indiana's Mr. Football.  He came to the University of Iowa as a three-star recruit in the class of 2006 and immediately saw action.

Edds is a smart player with a ton of experience. He has played in 38 games over the last three seasons for the Hawkeyes and has piled up some impressive stats in the process.

In his 13 games this past season, he totaled 77 tackles (four for a loss), five interceptions and four pass breakups. During his senior bowl outing, Edds helped the North to victory with an interception and a fumble recovery.

"1.21 gigawatts!?!"

His tackling has always been solid, but Edds stepped his game up a notch as a senior and improved his pass coverage in the process. Now, he is comfortable playing all three spots at linebacker. 

His comfort in the position and experience on the field helped him earn second-team all-Big Ten honors in 2009.

To go along with his football accouterments, Edds is also incredibly intelligent. He is a three-time Big Ten Conference all-academic team selection.

If his football career doesn't pan out, Edds has considered law school and plans to pursue his dreams of becoming an athletic director.

"Great Scott!"

Before heading down that road, he plans on testing the waters in the NFL draft. The only question is, which team will get a steal of a player by drafting him?

Believe it or not, the Green Bay Packers seem interested. While linebacker is one of the strengths of the Packers' roster, it is also a position with a lot of question marks.

Former Iowa Hawkeye Aaron Kampman, who plays a combination of defensive end and linebacker, will be a free agent, and some suggest he might look elsewhere. Desmond Bishop's contract expires in the near future, as well.

The Packers don't have an immediate need for linebacker, but could use a late-round pick on someone like Edds. Green Bay Packers writers are lobbying the team to use a late pick on Edds if he is available.

"It’s funny, at the Senior Bowl, he was the biggest linebacker there," Jack Bechta, Edd's agent, told the Packer Report. "I just think if you need a guy that you’re not sure where you’re going to plug him in, that's who you take."

If he is available in the fourth of fifth round, Green Bay would be smart to grab him.

The Atlanta Falcons could be another interested team. At least that is the impression most would come to after cruising through Falcon fan forums.

Fans would love it if their team used one of its fourth-round selections on him. His performance in the Orange Bowl might have helped convince Atlanta fans that he is a good fit for their team.

Atlanta will likely be targeting a linebacker to provide some depth and youth to a solid defense. The team wants a player on whom they can build a foundation. That player could be Edds.

"If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour... you're gonna see some serious *&^%."

The NFL draft will kick off on Thursday, April 22.

That's when Edds will find out if Green Bay or Atlanta are truly interested in him.