Draft Prospect Profile | Edge Bradlee Anae, Utah

Here's a look at a second-tier edge rusher that could be available Day 2-3.

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Bradlee Anae, EDGE

Height: 6-foot 3
Weight: 257 lbs.
Grade: Senior
School: Utah

Bradlee Anae has ideal height and weight for an edge rusher, though at the same time he has shorter than desired arms (32 ⅛”) and over 10-inch hands. 

He plays best on the edge when tasked to pin his ears back and get after the quarterback. Anae possesses adequate athletic ability for the position, but has a quick first step, and explodes up the arc quickly. 

He has enough flexibility to bend through contact up, and at the top, of the arc, while being an absolute technician as a pass rusher. He has a vast pass-rushing repertoire--he does a good job making initial contact with offensive lineman, despite his shorter arms, and his quick first step forces tackles to overset at times, which allows Anae to show off his inside counter moves. 

Anae flashed an inside spin move and has good ability to open his hips, drop his weight, and fluidly operate when spinning inside. 

On a bunch of occasions, Anae had his way with one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the draft, Austin Jackson, when Utah faced USC this Fall.

Anae is coming off three strong seasons at Utah (he didn’t play much his freshman year), where he had 127 tackles, 38 for a loss, and 27.5 sacks, with 13 of them coming in 2019. 

Anae didn’t do himself any favors at the combine. He ran a 4.93, with a 7.44 3-cone, which is in the 49th percentile. His lower body explosiveness wasn’t anything to write home about either, but he did do 25 bench press reps. 

The kid plays with such a motor, too; his competitive toughness is very high, and he never gives up on a play. From a technical side of rushing the passer, i.e., good initial contact, jolt, establishes half-man, plenty of moves, enough athletic ability to succeed (not his best trait), and the ability to manipulate tackles well throughout his sets, there is a lot to love about Anae as a prospect.

On the flip side, I do wish he was a bit more nimble in space. He also isn’t the most fluid mover when dropping into coverage, but I thought he was solid against the run. 

He struggled at the point of attack against offensive linemen when they won the leverage battle and, at times, when they were pulling in space. 

All in all, I feel Anae could be available later than initially expected, because of the poor combine, and the ascension from many other prospects, who showed up well at the combine.

Why He’s a Fit

There’s no secret, the Giants need talent and production at the EDGE rusher position, and Anae may be available late in the third round. 

Anae can provide pass-rushing help in a 2-point, 3-point, or 4-point stance, and can effectively line up over the tight end, as a 6-technique, act as a redirector, as a 5-technique, and, of course, as a stand-up edge rusher. 

While he’s not the best dropping in coverage, Anae still can do it on occasion. His value, combined with his high effort and pass-rushing ability, would undoubtedly make him an intriguing pickup for the Giants.