Overview
Position: Edge Rusher / Outside Linebacker
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 257 pounds
School: Utah Utes
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.93 seconds
Bench press: 25 reps
Vertical jump: 31 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 7 inches
Three-cone drill: 7.44 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.43 seconds
Bradlee Anae 2020 NFL Draft Profile
One of the top players from the state of Hawai’i in the 2016 recruiting class, Bradlee Anae had a host of scholarship offers from major programs. It included one from BYU where his father played in the 1980s. He actually took a visit there and to Utah on the same day ahead of his commitment decision, as both schools are relatively close to one another. On signing day, he ended up giving his pledge to the Utes.
Anae made a small but noticeable contribution as a true freshman, playing in six games and registering two sacks. From then on, he became a consistent force on the Utah defensive front. He registered double-digit tackles for loss in each of his next three seasons, earning first-team All-Pac-12 recognition as a junior and a senior. He also led the team in sacks in each of those seasons, eventually finishing with a school-record 30 career quarterback takedowns. Among the other records in program history he shattered were total sack (210) and tackle for loss (245) yardage. In addition to his all-league recognition, Anae also garnered AP third-team All-American honors during his senior season in addition to winning the Morris Trophy which is given to the Pac-12’s best defensive lineman as voted by the starting offensive linemen in the league.
Strengths
- plays with an angry/aggressive streak;
- has a solid initial get-off;
- brings a high motor and willingness to compete on every play;
- regularly clogs gaps which gives ball-carriers nowhere to go;
- puts blockers on their heels with plus speed to power conversion;
- stifles pass game in multiple ways, including getting his hands up to break up throws;
- swipes his hands near the ball which always makes him a strip-sack threat;
- capable of playing upright or with a hand on the ground;
- extensive Power Five conference starter reps.
Weaknesses
- relies too much on power rather than utilizing proper technique;
- hands must be much more active when attacking opponent;
- not the most eye-popping reactive athleticism;
- plays too upright which inhibits his ability to generate leverage;
- needs to develop an effective counter move when attacking the B-gap;
- might be limited to outside linebacker work in a 3-4 scheme at the next level;
- was completely shut down in the 2019 Pac-12 title game.
NFL Comparison: Hercules Mata’afa
Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins
Projection: Third to fourth round
Bottom Line
Over the course of his college career, Bradlee Anae emerged as one of the Pac-12’s top edge rushers and was a defensive stalwart on a Utah team that had legitimate CFP ambitions in 2019. He’s capable of lighting up opposing blockers with his bull rush and can attack the gaps as a means of wrapping up ball-carriers before they can get to the line of scrimmage. But in order to make an impact at the next level, he does need a bit of refinement. Specifically, he has to develop a more wide array of pass rush moves because he is a bit of a one-trick pony at this point. Relying on brute strength rather than combining that with proper technique doesn’t work against the NFL’s top tackles. But if he gets coached up in order to touch up those deficiencies in his skill sets, there’s no doubt that he can make an impact at the next level and eventually garner reps as a starter.
