Bradlee

Anae

Anae (6'3/257) led the Pac-12 with eight sacks in 2018 before returning as a consensus All-American and Morris Trophy winner as the conference’s top defensive lineman (as voted on by Pac-12 offensive linemen) in 2019, finishing as the Utes’ all-time sacks (30) leader after four seasons. Anae rarely came off the field for Utah, playing 2,342 career snaps across 38 starts, but he will likely be profiled as a situational pass rusher since he lacks the arm length (32 1/8", 11th-percentile) and athleticism of a typical three-down contributor. Anae’s maturity is also under the microscope, as The Athletic’s Dane Brugler notes Anae showed up after enrollment at nearly 300 pounds. Anae did bowl over early-round prospects USC OT Austin Jackson and Huskies LT Trey Adams at the collegiate level in 2019, offering a glimpse of his NFL upside. He should have a good shot at carving out a rotational role as a rookie.

Anae (6'3/257) led the Pac-12 with eight sacks in 2018 before returning as a consensus All-American and Morris Trophy winner as the conference’s top defensive lineman (as voted on by Pac-12 offensive linemen) in 2019, finishing as the Utes’ all-time sacks (30) leader after four seasons. Anae rarely came off the field for Utah, playing 2,342 career snaps across 38 starts, but he will likely be profiled as a situational pass rusher since he lacks the arm length (32 1/8", 11th-percentile) and athleticism of a typical three-down contributor. Anae’s maturity is also under the microscope, as The Athletic’s Dane Brugler notes Anae showed up after enrollment at nearly 300 pounds. Anae did bowl over early-round prospects USC OT Austin Jackson and Huskies LT Trey Adams at the collegiate level in 2019, offering a glimpse of his NFL upside. He should have a good shot at making the Cowboys’ 53-man roster as a rookie.

Anae (6'3/257) led the Pac-12 with eight sacks in 2018 before returning as a consensus All-American and Morris Trophy winner as the conference’s top defensive lineman (as voted on by Pac-12 offensive linemen) in 2019, finishing as the Utes’ all-time sacks (30) leader after four seasons. Anae rarely came off the field for Utah, playing 2,342 career snaps across 38 starts, but he will likely be profiled as a situational pass rusher since he lacks the arm length (32 1/8", 11th-percentile) and athleticism of a typical three-down contributor. Anae’s maturity is also under the microscope, as The Athletic’s Dane Brugler notes Anae showed up after enrollment at nearly 300 pounds. Anae did bowl over early-round prospects USC OT Austin Jackson and Huskies LT Trey Adams at the collegiate level in 2019, offering a glimpse of his NFL upside. He should have a good shot at making the Cowboys’ 53-man roster as a rookie.

The 40-yard dash was an important test for the 6-foot-3, 257-pound Anae, as for all his on-field production, he entered the combine week facing questions about his overall level of athleticism and burst. His first run in the 40, not so hot. Anae will have another shot at the sprint before official numbers are locked in. While the athleticism might be lacking, Anae wins with relentless energy and fantastic hand technique. NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein comps Anae to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Dawuane Smoot.

“Anae’s tape tends to grow on you the more you watch with his revved-up motor and salty disposition showing up in every game,” Zierlein writes of the 6-foot-3, 257-pound Utah standout. On the more critical side of the ledger, the analyst notes that Anae is “not a natural bender or the longest edge defender and he’s much better at attacking blockers than defending his territory against the run.” Zierlein believes that Anae’s best shot at cracking a starting lineup in the NFL might come as a “rush linebacker in a 3-4 (scheme).” Anae, who crushed his Senior Bowl duties in January, could come off the draft board on Day 2 if the rest of the process breaks right for him. Otherwise, early on Day 3.

“He gets on top of blockers very quickly with his first step and incorporates a variety of power moves without slowing his momentum to the pocket,” Brugler writes of the 6-foot-3, 257-pound Anae. While the Utes standout excelled in Mobile, Brugler does note that there is a wide range of opinions regarding Anae’s draft upside, with some corners seeing a Round 2 prospect and others struggling to bump him past an early Day 3 projection. The rest of the process will be crucial for Anae.

Anae (6'3/265) has been one of the top edge rushers in college football this season, as he has tallied eight quarterback sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss through the Utes’ first nine games. Earlier this month ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranked the senior EDGE eighth among draft-eligible prospects at his position, with Ohio State’s Chase Young leading the way. Anae will look to add some more highlights to his game film on Saturday when Utah hosts UCLA.

Anae has been getting a lot of hype from both college football writers and draft analysts as of late, and it might be compensation for being pretty darn underrated over the last two years for the Utes while picking up 14 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 2019. “Anae is an explosive athlete on the edge who’s too quick for most offensive tackles to deal with,” the SI editors write, “and he’ll return this fall as part of a defense that has a real chance to be top-15 in the country for a second-straight year.”

Anae (6'3/254) also led the Pac-12 with 52 quarterback pressures, so there’s all-around NFL potential here. As a junior last year, Anae made 14 tackles for loss with 7.5 sacks, but he should match or exceed those numbers as a senior. With the best edge rusher in the conference, Utah will be a force in the Pac-12 South once again.

Those 52 pressures were easily the most of any Pac-12 rusher, with Christian Rector of USC having 37 coming in second. Anae earned a grade of 80.8 last year for his work last year according to PFF, which was the best mark of any EDGE in the conference, with Rector coming in second. Long story short, Anae has been exceptional, and he’s one of the reasons why Utah is expected to compete for the Pac-12 South -- again -- in 2019.