Chiefs bolster defensive line in NFL Draft Round 3 by selecting Ashton Gillotte
When they worked out together this offseason, little did Louisville defensive end Ashton Gillotte know he’d become NFL teammates with Chiefs D-end George Karlaftis.
“He helped me a lot,” said Gillotte, who was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the NFL Draft, No. 66 overall.
The connection? Louisville is coached by Jeff Brohm, who was Karlaftis’ coach at Purdue, and defensive coordinator Mark Hagan, who also coached Karlaftis.
“My coaches were like, ‘I think this would be a good person to get in with, and I think you’d relate to him,’” Gillotte said. “I was doing film study with him, watching plays.
“He was critical, but in a lot of ways he helped me get to this level.”
In a 2023 interview, Brohm, compared the players.
“Ashton reminds me a lot of George Karlaftis,” Brohm said, “... can play defensive end but can move inside, too.”
Gillotte said he and Karlaftis, a Chiefs first-round pick in 2022 and three-year starter, studied film together, calling him something of a “mentor.”
In the lead-up to the draft, Gillotte said he connected with Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo over zoom calls.
Gillotte started three of his four years at Louisville and finished 2023 with 11 sacks, which ranked seventh in the nation. He was named All-ACC that year.
Gillotte, listed at 6-foot-3, 264 pounds, collected 24 1/2 tackles for loss in his final two seasons with the Cardinals.
The Chiefs had just taken a defensive tackle, Tennessee’s Omarr Norman-Lott with the 63rd overall pick. They stayed on the defensive line on their next choice, at No. 66 overall.
Gillotte’s overview, according to NFL.com, called him “productive and experienced. Gillotte shines with his ability to threaten the pocket. His rush isn’t overly complicated, but he can collapse the pocket with power, beat up the edge with violent hands and sneak past guards with snap quickness when playing inside.”
In his first interview after being drafted, Gillotte wore a Chiefs cap and t-shirt. He said his uncle, a Chiefs fan, provided the shirt.
This story was originally published April 25, 2025 at 8:52 PM.