SALT LAKE CITY — Bradlee Anae will have a beautiful view and supreme surroundings when his name is called at the NFL draft.
The former University of Utah defensive end will be in picturesque Laie, Hawaii. Waiting and watching the draft on television isn’t an option for the 6-foot-3, 257-pound consensus All-American.
“Oh no, no. I’m going to be on the beach. I’m going to be quarantining myself on the beach and whenever the phone rings I’ll pick it up,” Anae said. “It’s a one-minute walk from my house to the beach, so I’ll get the call and then walk over and make the announcement to family and that will be that.”
Anae added that he plans to get a beach chair, cruise out there and be soaking in the sun when he learns his NFL destination. He’ll be in paradise, after all.
“Oh no, no. I’m going to be on the beach. I’m going to be quarantining myself on the beach and whenever the phone rings I’ll pick it up.” — Bradlee Anae
“I didn’t want to be glued on the TV when I’m in Hawaii,” said Anae, who may be joined on the beach by some buddies and cousins.
After getting his call, Anae noted that he’ll watch the draft on television to see where his former Utah teammates are headed.
“Definitely. I want to see where everybody gets picked up,” Anae said. “I would love to land somewhere with a teammate like how Cody (Barton) and Marquise (Blair) are in Seattle,” Anae said. “That’s pretty cool to me. But, yeah, I’ll definitely be watching out and looking for the guys to see where they go.”
Anae is one of eight Utah starters on defense invited to the NFL combine. The “Mayor of Sack Lake City” completed his career as the program’s all-time leader in sacks with 30. It’s a mark he hopes is surpassed someday soon.
“Definitely. It’s definitely something I want to see the younger guys chase after and hopefully get that record,” Anae said. “It’s Sack Lake City and I want the record to be even more than that, thinking 40.”
After topping the Utes in sacks for three consecutive seasons, Anae wound up breaking several school records. He’s the career leader in tackles for loss yardage (245) and sack yards (210).
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said Anae has an incredible motor.
“The guy plays every snap like it’s his last one. He’s got a great get-off, a great first step,” Whittingham said. “He’s relentless as a pass rusher and I think he’s a force off the edge. I know he is”
Anae’s status as the team’s all-time sacks leader stands as proof.
“That’s for a reason,” Whittingham said. “Because he knows how to rush the passer.”
The ninth consensus All-American in Utah history received first-team All-America honors from the AFCA, FWAA, Sporting News and Walter Camp. He received third-team recognition from The Associated Press. Other national accolades came from Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, ESPN, Phil Steele, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic and USA Today. Anae repeated as a first-team All-Pac-12 honoree and won the Morris Award as the top defensive lineman in the conference, as voted by his counterparts on the offensive line.
Like Whittingham, Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley noted Anae has an unbelievable motor.
“He is, in my opinion, a complete pass rusher. He’s not just a one-trick pony,” Scalley said. “He’s got multiple tools in his pass rush tool belt and he utilizes every single one of them.”
As such, Scalley expects Anae to get drafted fairly well. Exactly when and which team, however, is far from certain at this point.
“It’s pretty much up in the air right now. My agent has been talking to a lot of general managers, a majority say in the No. 25 to No. 50 picks,” Anae said. “But I don’t really care where I go. My mindset is wherever I’m at they’re going to get somebody who can make an impact right away and who can start and be very productive for a team.”
The Utes can attest that’s how Anae rolls. In 47 career games, he racked up 135 tackles (41.5 for loss) with six forced fumbles and two recoveries. Of his 30 career sacks, 27 were solo. Anae brought a specific mindset with him after achieving great success at Kahuku High School.
“I didn’t just want to be another guy. I wanted to be the best, to be the best in the country,” said Anae, who was determined to be a first-team All-American. “To be able to do that this year and be consensus first team was just one of my goals. To be able to reach that was just a blessing. I’m just grateful for the whole Utah football staff, and the whole program in itself really made me who I am today.”
Anae continues to hone his craft. He recently improved his time in the 40 from a 4.92 at the combine to a 4.81 at a recent private pro day in Las Vegas. Seemingly never satisfied, a 4.7 was his aim.
“It was kind of shocking for me that time I got at the combine,” Anae said. “So I wanted to redo it because I just wasn’t myself that day, I guess.”
Despite the hiccup, Anae is enjoying the draft process — even if the pandemic is overshadowing the upcoming event. He said it’s been a weird process with all the coronavirus stuff going on.
Even so, Anae insists he’s “just excited.” Who can blame him? The beach and then the NFL await.
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What they’re saying about Bradlee Anae
NFL.COM: “Good backup, could become a starter.”
CBS SPORTS: 3rd round, 95th overall — Denver Broncos
DRAFTSITE: 3rd round, 90th overall — Cleveland Browns
DRAFTTEK: 4th round, 110th overall — New York Giants
USA TODAY: 3rd round, 97th overall — Houston Texans