The Washington Commanders need to address their issues at EDGE after losing their leading sacker, Dante Fowler Jr., to the Dallas Cowboys. The pass rush needs a reliable starter who can line up alongside Dorance Armstrong. Adding Deatrich Wise Jr. and Jacob Martin provides them with much-needed depth, but neither player offers long-term stability.
Because of this, the Commanders could select an EDGE rusher either on Day 1 or 2 of the upcoming draft.
According to Dave Heilman, the Commanders will host former Louisville Cardinals EDGE rusher Ashton Gillotte on a Top-30 visit. Gillotte is an underrated defender because he can play both inside as an interior defensive lineman and outside as an EDGE rusher. He is also very athletic, running a blazing 4.63 40-time, which is very good for a 264-pounder, and scoring an impressive 9.75 Relative Athletic Score.
He had a great career with Louisville
Ashton Gillotte committed to the Louisville Cardinals as a three-star recruit for the 2021 season. Gillotte had a great career with Louisville, recording 131 tackles, 41 TFLs, 26.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles in 51 games. His accolades include being named First Team All-ACC in 2023 and Second Team All-ACC in 2024.
Gillotte took a slight step back in production during his junior year, posting fewer tackles, TFLs, stops, pressures, and sacks than his breakout junior season. He recorded 43 tackles, ten TFLs, and 4.5 sacks in 12 games. He also posted 23 stops and 57 pressures, according to PFF.
Here’s Lance Zierlein‘s scouting report on Ashton Gillotte
“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.
“He’s powerful but doesn’t have a solid anchor to hold his ground as a run defender. I’ve graded Gillotte as a 4-3 defensive end, but he has the athletic ability to stand and play 3-4 outside ‘backer.”
Zierlein predicts that Gillotte will become a good backup with the potential to develop into a starter.
