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PROVO — Bronson Kaufusi knew what he needed to do and not do at BYU’s pro day last Friday.
The only BYU invite to the NFL Combine a month ago, Kaufusi ran the 40-yard dash in 4.87 seconds and put up 25 reps on the bench press, jumped 30.0 inches high and was a top performer in the 3-cone drill at 7.03 seconds.
What did he need to do in Provo in front of 24 NFL scouts and one rom the CFL?
Play football.
“Mainly, I just wanted to show them I can move,” said 6-foot-6 Kaufusi, who weighed in at 285 pounds. “I’m big and tall, but I can still move well while being heavy.
“Being able to do some agility drills, I think things went well.”
Kaufusi has several team workouts and visits before April’s NFL Draft, though he declined to name which teams have drawn distinct interest in taking a flyer on the former BYU defensive end who had 109 tackles, 44 tackles for loss and 26.5 sacks in his four-year college career.
The Timpview High graduate gained 20 pounds since the end of the season, and said he’s done all that he can to try to improve his draft stock. Now, he’s just trying to enjoy the rest of the pre-draft fever that envelopes the country’s most popular sport every spring.
“It’s so fun and something you dream of as a little kid,” Kaufusi said. “You dream of this opportunity, and for me, it’s a huge blessing. I’m trying to enjoy every second of it.”
An anonymous draft scout agreed with Kaufusi’s lighter assessment.
“Everyone has been on him for so long that it’s kinda anticlimactic now,” an anonymous NFC scouting director told NFL.com. “Someone will take him higher than they should when he tests out at the combine.”
Kaufusi’s mere presence at BYU’s pro day — even if he didn’t participate in most of the drills — could also affect his former BYU teammates. Guys like Mitch Mathews, Devon Blackmon, Manoa Pikula and Souther Utah quarterback Ammon Olsen took notice — were grateful.
“I think Bronson brought a big crowd, and it was good to perform in front of a lot of people,” said Olsen, who threw during Kaufusi’s interception return drill. “Overall, it was just a great experience, and I was happy to be here. I think a lot of guys did really well and impressed a lot of scouts here at BYU.”
Even with less stress and an ability to focus on his teammates for an afternoon — as well as next season’s BYU talent at the Cougars’ annual spring game a day later — Kaufusi won’t take too much time off.
“I’m just trying to stay in shape and be ready,” he said. “There are no breaks for a while; you want to be ready for anything that comes at you.”
Contributing: Dave Noriega
