The Kansas City Chiefs have selected Louisville defensive end Ashton Gillotte with the 66th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

6’3” | 264 lbs. | Louisville
Boca Raton, Florida

Background: A three-star prospect out of Boca Raton, Florida, Gillote was a four-year player for Louisville and found a way to contribute every year he was on campus. With an impressive 26.5 career sacks — 11 coming in 2023 — he was a key piece in the Cardinals’ defense, where he used his impressive blend of athletic ability and strength to bring pressure off the edge.

His sack production took a dip in 2024, but he still managed to lead the nation in hurries and recorded 10 tackles for loss.

An impressive athlete, he excelled in all of the athletic testing at the Scouting Combine — and posted a 4.65 40-yard dash time as well as a 36.50-inch vertical jump.

Strengths: Gillote uses his impressive blend of athletic ability and bend to rush the passer. He is quick enough off the snap to bend the arc against offensive tackles, but he also uses his compact frame to build up speed and use leverage to win snaps as well.

He is a good defender in space and projects to be a good edge-setting player against outside zone-heavy teams. With his size and athletic ability, he could also turn into a “chess piece” type player for Steve Spagnuolo, where he will have the versatility to line up in different spots or play different roles depending on the situation.

Weaknesses: The definition of a ‘tweener, Gillote isn’t the largest player in the world — and he doesn’t have a defined secondary rush mover or counter move. His 31-inch arms will also limit what he can do as a rusher.

How he fits with the Chiefs: Gillote projects to become a Swiss army knife-style defensive lineman for the Chiefs. Even if he does not have a defined role right away, they will be able to play “matchup roulette on a week-in and week-out basis and find the spot where he can be most effective. I would not put it past the Chiefs to try him on some snaps as an inside pass rusher to use his speed early on, but his ability to move in space should have him taking consistent snaps at defensive end by the end of the season.

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