Bradlee Anae an Edge Rusher with an Edge Bears Can Use
Utah's Bradlee Anae turned in some pretty mundane numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine for an edge rusher.
A 4.93-second 40-yard dash and a 32-inch vertical leap showed he probably won't be in the Olympics. For an edge rusher they were so so.
What he does really well is more important. He can rush the passer, and he does it proficiently with solid technique.
Regardless of the combine, if anyone doubts his athleticism the 6-foot-3, 257-pound Hawaiian native has a pretty wild answer for them.
"I could do a double backflip off a 40-foot cliff," Anae told reporters at an NFL Scouting Combine interview.
Anyone who doubts Anae's athletic ability knows nothing about his family history. His father, Brad, played defensive end in the USFL for Houston, San Antonio and Philadelphia, and also at BYU. He has two sisters who are college volleyball players and another one who is a power lifter and age division record setter.
Anae's daring goes beyond cliff diving.
He pets sharks.
"I'm from the islands, so that's just one of the things I do," he said. "We just go out there, island boys, we dive in and see sharks. They're harmless. Unless it's a tiger shark. You gotta watch out for them."
Great whites probably wouldn't be too easy to pet, either.
"I think I'm an adrenaline junkie, so I think I like doing things off the edge," Anae said, and then the edge rusher pointed out his own pun.
Anae came off the edge for 13 sacks last year in 12 games for a Utah defense that excelled during an 11-3 season. The defense was so good eight players received combine invitations.
For his career, Anae had 29 1/2 sacks and 40 tackles for loss, as well as five forced fumbles.
How much a lack of spectacular combine numbers hurt him on draft day remains to be seen. For defensive linemen, his numbers were fine. For edge rushers and outside linebackers like the Bears would use him, they were only average.
Mock drafts have put him down as a third- or fourth-round pick.
The Bears can use a third edge rusher, especially an effective younger one as relief for Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. Without a third- or fourth-round pick they'd need to trade down from Round 2 to get in range to select Anae if he came off the board in the predicted range.
There has at least been some interest from the Bears in Anae, as he spoke with them at the NFL scouting combine according to Bearreport.com.
One combine number he does have on his side was in the bench press. He had 25 reps in the bench, 16th among all defensive players who tested.
He uses the strength well with his pass-rushing technique to get off blocks. Lance Zierlien of NFL.com listed Anae's punch and hand usage as superior.
If his numbers at the combine look weak, his play never has been. At the Senior Bowl, he had three sacks, getting to Jalen Hurts on consecutive plays. Later he beat Oregon tackle Calvin Throckmorton and hit Hurts as he threw, causing an interception. He also sacked Steven Montez by beating Texas Tech's Terence Steele.
Lions coach Matt Patricia, who coached in the game, came away entirely impressed with Anae.
"We've gone over a lot of things with him from a pass rush standpoint, from a technique standpoint, and he tried to take all that (from practice to the game)," Patricia told NFL.com after the game. "He's got a great gift, a great ability to rush the edge."
Anae has always liked the defensive side of the ball, even as a youth.
"Guys I grew up idolizing were guys like Troy Polamalu, Junior Seau," Anae said. "Being a defensive guy, those were the guys I looked at."
Among players now in the game, he studies T.J. Watt.
"Just his play style," Anae said. "I watch him on film all the time. I love how he plays. High motor guy. Great pass rusher."
Perhaps, but can Watt pet sharks and do back flips off cliffs?
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
