The Baltimore Ravens drafted BYU’s Bronson Kaufusi with the 70th pick.
BYU defensive end Bronson Kaufusi heard his name called in the third round of the NFL Draft when the Baltimore Ravens picked him with the 70th overall pick.
Kaufusi played in 50 games at BYU, starting 36 times as a three-year starter. He was named to the 2015 Nagurski Trophy and Bednarik Award watch lists in addition to earning recognition as a 2015 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominee and 2013 Ted Hendricks Award watch list honoree. Kaufusi was a three-time Phil Steele All-Independent selection including two first-team marks. He was named BYU’s Most Valuable Player in 2015 and was given the 2015-16 Ed Stein Outstanding Senior Male Athlete Award at the Y Awards for high athletic and academic performance and sportsmanship.
Kaufusi joins former Cougars in offensive lineman De’Ondre Wesley and tight end Dennis Pitta in Baltimore.
Being selected at No. 70 is in the range where the experts projected Kaufusi to get picked up, and he goes to a Ravens franchise that continually puts together very good defenses. This is an organization where Kaufusi could really thrive as a pro football player.
The Ravens needed defenders in this draft who can get after the quarterback and they got those players in their second round pick in Boise State linebacker Kamalei Correa and then Kaufusi in the third.
“With [Correa and Kaufusi], we got some guys with big-time motors, that play the game the way we like it to be played on the defensive side of the ball,” general manager Ozzie Newsome said.
As a senior he led the Cougar defense with 11 sacks and 20 tackles for loss which was an increase as a junior where he had 7.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss, but played linebacker. He finished No. 2 all-time at BYU with 26.5 and is third in tackles for loss with 44 and quarterback hurries with 17.
