Weighing in on Kansas City’s third-round draft pick.
The Kansas City Chiefs have made their next selection!
The Chiefs took Louisville defensive end Ashton Gillotte with the 66th overall pick in the third round. We have insta-grades from the three members of the Arrowhead Pride Draft Team.
Caleb: This was not the pick that I was expecting — and it does feel like they may have drafted him a bit high. But Gillotte has an excellent athletic profile and will be able to give the Chiefs a ton of versatility.
With a good combination of speed and bend for a stout player, Gillotte can bend the arc around the outside or use his leverage to overpower tackles once he is able to build speed and get a running start on his way to the quarterback. For being a larger player, I also like how well he plays in space . There are multiple instances in his film where he is able to quickly decipher reads and run down skill players in space.
The issues with Gillotte will come with his size and frame. He will be a “tweener” — and with 31-inch arms, he may be limited in where he can rush the passer. The Chiefs had other options on the board that were a closer fit to what Gillotte brings, so this did come as a surprise.
Still, the Chiefs are getting a supremely athletic player who could be the Swiss Army knife in their defense.
Grade: C+
Nate: This is interesting to me. To be candid, I was low on this pick — although I was fine with Gillotte’s tape in college. He’s an excellent run defender who can play 4i-tech and deal with double teams. Gillotte mainly crushed the pocket with power, but lacked any real bend or quick winning. I thought he was a Round 4 guy.
However, I will say this: Gillotte performed his athletic testing at a different weight. Gillotte weighed in at 264 pounds and dominated his athletic testing. He ran a blazing 4.65-second 40-yard dash (with a 1.59-second 10-yard split), had a 10-foot broad jump and a 36.5-inch vertical jump, but had a surprising 6.94-second 3-cone drill and a 4.35-second short shuttle.
Based on the player I watched at Louisville, I never would’ve guessed he was that kind of athlete; playing lighter might unlock a new upside I didn’t see on film. But because his body type is different, I’m not quite sure how to project him. In college, he was a good as a big run defender who crushed the pocket — but in the NFL, he may be more dynamic. He won’t be able to play as a 4i-tech at 264 pounds, but if he can retain some of his run defense while adding more pass-rushing ability, I see the vision for this player.
I’ll be honest: I’d still rather have Princely Umanmielen, Bradyn Swinson or Jordan Burch — but I’m more intrigued by Gillotte as I thought about it. I can quickly talk myself into this —but because I’m not sure how it will play out, I’ll give it a C+ for today.
Grade: C+
Rocky: For me, this pick was a bit of a reach — especially with guys like Kyle Kennard, Jack Sawyer, Landon Jackson and Princely Umanmielen still on the board.
At 6 foot 3 and 276 pounds, Gillotte has some size and versatility; he has a nice size-speed combo and is strong as an ox. But if you wanted a guy like that, Elijah Roberts would have been a better option. While Gillotte has a big engine — and is relentless — his lack of length and a pass-rushing plan limits his ceiling.
Everything he gets, he gets on effort — and sometimes, that’s hard to translate into the NFL.
He will be a fan favorite, but I’m just not convinced he was even one of the four best pass rushers on the board. Hopefully, I’m wrong — and he is the next Tamba Hali.
Grade: B-