Chiefs HC Andy Reid Names Surprise Draft Pick in Starting Conversation

The Kansas City Chiefs’ 2025 draft class has earned all types of praise at training camp, and rookie third-round defensive end Ashton Gillotte has quietly flown under the radar despite his impressive play.

On August 3, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid even suggested that Gillotte is in the mix for a starting role at defensive end this season, which would be a total shocker if it happened.

“When [Gillotte and first-round left tackle Josh Simmons] compete — those two are competitive guys — they get in there and bang it around a little bit,” Reid said on Sunday.

“I think it’s all healthy,” the veteran coach added. “They’re friends, so it works out off the field, but they’re both trying to chase a starting spot and see what they can do there.”

Sure, “chasing” a starting job is different from being the frontrunner to land one, but the fact that Gillotte is even being named in this DE conversation is notable.

With George Karlaftis, Mike Danna, Charles Omenihu and Felix Anudike-Uzomah in front of Gillotte on the depth chart to start training camp, most figured the third-round talent would be eased into the first-team snap share in year one. But that may not be the case.

With the way Gillotte is playing right now, he could profile as a surprise candidate to push Danna for early-down snaps, being that the rookie seems to hold up solidly against the run.

Chiefs Rookie DE Ashton Gillotte Credited With Showing ‘Steady Improvement’ at Training Camp

KSHB 41’s Chiefs insider Nick Jacobs relayed his practice notes from August 3 on Sunday evening, and he highlighted Gillotte’s performance as well.

“Rookie defensive end Ashton Gillotte continues to show steady improvement with each passing practice,” Jacobs stated.

Continuing: “Today, he was able to put a great spin move on fellow rookie left tackle Josh Simmons and beat him to the inside. On the previous play, Simmons got the best of Gillotte with a good anchor on his set.”

Jacobs added that “Gillotte also had multiple pressures during the team portion of practice.”

With how much hype Simmons has been receiving this summer, it’s no small feat that Gillotte has gone toe-to-toe with him at training camp, often trading blows back and forth. The Chiefs may have found something here in the 6-foot-3 defensive end.

Has Felix Anudike-Uzomah Shown Any Improvement at Camp?

With Gillotte trending up, the common assumption would be that KC’s disappointing first-round defensive end pick, Anudike-Uzomah, is once again trending down. “FAU” has been quieter this summer, which isn’t necessarily a great thing, but he was listed among Arrowhead Pride beat reporter Pete Sweeney’s “OL/DL standouts” at Sunday’s practice.

Along with Gillotte, Simmons and Anudike-Uzomah, Sweeney identified right tackle Jawaan Taylor, right guard Trey Smith, center Creed Humphrey, potential swing tackle Jaylon Moore, and reserve defensive end Malik Herring as standouts in the trenches yesterday.

The beat writer didn’t elaborate much on these performances, but at least Anudike-Uzomah had a practice where he was clearly trending in the right direction.

The three preseason outings will be important for younger players like Gillotte and FAU, who are both hoping to make their mark and earn regular season snaps. In all likelihood, the two recent draft picks could be in direct competition for usage in 2025.