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New York Giants: Bronson Kaufusi is a great fit in 2016 NFL Draft

By Nick Ziegler

Nov 21, 2015; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars defensive lineman Bronson Kaufusi (90) makes his way around the stadium with his teammates after their 52-10 win against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2015; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars defensive lineman Bronson Kaufusi (90) makes his way around the stadium with his teammates after their 52-10 win against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports /
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The AFC Championship Game this season brought back a lot of memories for New York Giants fans of what an elite pass-rush can accomplish.

In the Denver Broncos’ win against the New England Patriots, the Broncos’ defense was able to harass Tom Brady similarly to how the Giants were able to bother the Patriots’ quarterback in their two Super Bowl wins.

In 2015, the Giants’ pass-rush was nowhere to be found, as an injured Jason Pierre-Paul missed a good chunk of the season, and was not expected to be the Pro Bowl-caliber player after missing so much time when he did return.

After having a 6-10 record in 2015, the Giants will be selecting at number 10 with a lot of needs on the defensive side of the ball. One player that has emerged as a great fit for the Giants after the first round is Bronson Kaufusi from BYU.

In four seasons at BYU, Kaufusi totaled 25 sacks, which could be exactly what the doctor ordered for the Giants in 2016. In his senior season, Kaufusi was great at BYU, as he totaled 10 sacks, 18.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

Kaufusi loved watching the AFC Championship Game, as the Broncos’ pass rush put on a clinic against the Patriots’ pass protection.

“I loved that game,’’ the towering defensive end from BYU told Paul Schwartz of The New York Post during a break from the grind of Senior Bowl week. “For me as a pass rusher, you just want to disrupt that quarterback. Whenever he gets hit, that’s a win. I saw that game and it was fun to watch.”

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Kaufusi is a big man at 6’8”, 280 pounds, and the defensive end from BYU is a hard worker.

“It’s kind of a natural ability, I feel like,’’ Kaufusi said to Schwartz. “There are so many little things that go into it. Every single rep you get you get better, whether you win or lose. Being able to hone in on those details and just make all those things come together. … I’ve heard guys call it it’s more of an art. I feel that way. It’s a hard job, but it can come natural.’’

The Giants have had elite pass rushers in recent years, as most football fans have heard of Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, and Pierre-Paul, who have all made names for themselves playing for the Giants.

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“Oh, yeah, they’ve had terrific pass rushers,’’ Kaufusi said to Schwartz. “I know ’em. [Justin] Tuck. JPP’s there. They’re all about getting off the ball and getting in the backfield. I feel like it’s definitely my strength.’’

Kaufusi has the great attitude and work ethic that will likely make him a very successful NFL player, and for the Giants, he appears to be a great fit after the first round early on in the draft process.

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