10. Bradlee Anae, Utah
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 257
40-Yard Dash: 4.93 seconds
Bench Press: 25 reps
Vertical Jump: 31.0 inches
Broad Jump: 115.0 inches
3-Cone Drill: 7.44 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.43 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: A star in basketball, track, and football at Kahuku High School in Laie, Hawaii, Anae helped his team win the 2015 Division I state championship, defeating a Saint Louis School team that had a junior quarterback named Tua Tagovailoa. Anae chose Utah over Vanderbilt and BYU among other schools.
Stat to Know: Anae had more than 400 pass-rushing snaps in each of his three seasons with the Utes, and saw his total pressures rise from 42 in 2017 to 55 in 2018 to 63 in 2019.
Strengths: Plays with an aggressive, all-out mentality. Works off the snap with a variety of moves — rip to the inside, good shuffle to keep tackles off their base, chop to lessen punches from tackles, and straight-up speed to the outside. Has the athleticism, change-of-direction agility, and diagnostic ability to mush-rush and spy (as he did against Oregon). Brings good quickness into the pocket as a wider defender. Can work across the blocker’s face to the quarterback.
Weaknesses: Plays smaller than he is against bigger tackles who drive him away or attack him with their hands. At times, so quick to the backfield that he’ll get lost against misdirection and running plays. Needs to fire off with a low base so that his twitched-up body type is optimized for first-strike power. Shorter arms are a problem when he tries to extend them into blockers. Saw snaps inside the tackles and got washed out too often — needs to be on the outside.
Conclusion: Anae’s inability to square up against power inside may limit his every-snap NFL potential in hybrid fronts as a 4-2-5 line defender, but he could excel in five-man fronts in which he can use his athleticism to get free, and he does display off-ball potential. His play demeanor stands out, and whoever gets him in the NFL will certainly benefit from that.
NFL Comparison: Markus Golden. Selected in the second round of the 2015 draft by the Cardinals, the Missouri alum took his high-effort style to the NFL, rounded out his palette as a pass-rusher, and became an underrated, consistent edge defender with both Arizona and the Giants. Anae fits that bill in many ways, and don’t be surprised if he sticks in the league for a long time.