2025 NFL Draft prospect profile – Ashton Gillotte, EDGE, Louisville

The New York Giants made strikes in free company so as to add to the depth of their defensive entrance. However are they performed?

The 2025 NFL Draft has an ideal choice of defensive linemen and edge defenders, and the Giants may dip into that depth of expertise to bolster their protection.

Louisville’s Ashton Gillotte is flying below the radar, however he gives an intriguing profile and has been productive in his time there. He lacks a number of the traits that get scouts excited, however Gillotte has the burst and aggressive toughness that appeals to coaches.

Might the Giants discover themselves in a spot the place Gillotte is one of the best worth on the board?

Prospect: Ashton Gillotte (9)Video games Watched: vs. Notre Dame (2024), vs. Miami (2024), vs. Clemson (2024)

Measurables

Kent Lee Platte | RAS.soccer

Strengths

Finest traits

Aggressive toughness
Energy
Burst
Hand utilization

Gillotte is a compact, highly effective, and extremely aggressive edge defender with stunning versatility.

Gillotte is constructed like a fullback at 6-foot 2 ⅝ inches, 264 kilos, and that’s mirrored in his sport. He has a stocky construct with apparent energy in his decrease physique, which he places to good use as an influence rusher. There are a number of situations of Gillotte placing larger blockers on skates in the event that they aren’t ready for his bull rush.

He has an explosive go off the road of scrimmage in addition to strong flexibility in his decrease physique to each generate energy in addition to maximize his leverage. Gillotte additionally has strong hand utilization and whereas he not often will get his fingers on blockers first, he does job of coping with their fingers and stopping them from slowing his rush. He additionally understands the way to rush with a plan and mixes pace strikes like a long-arm, swipe, or club-rip as counters his energy rushes.

Gillotte is flexible sufficient to play from a two or three level stance as an edge defender, and is a succesful run defender on the sting. He additionally moved inside and performed as a defensive deal with in apparent passing conditions. His energy and leverage play nicely inside, and his burst makes him a mismatch for guards.

Lastly, he has incredible aggressive toughness. Gillotte has no drawback delivering second or third efforts to defeat blocks, match up with a lot larger offensive linemen, and is keen to pursue via the echo of the whistle.

Weaknesses

Worst traits

Size
Lengthy pace
Change of route

Gillotte has a pair weaknesses which may drive him down draft boards and restrict his ceiling on the NFL degree.

The primary, and most blatant, is his general lack of size. He’s quick for a contemporary edge defender, and has quick arms at 31 ⅞ inches. Whereas his method permits him to compensate to an extent, there are a number of situations in his tape the place his lack of size reveals up.

His rushes may be blunted by offensive linemen with lengthy arms and strong hand utilization. Gillotte typically does job of utilizing his personal fingers to stop linemen from latching on, however sound technicians can discover his chest plate and management him. Gillotte’ quick arms imply that if his efforts to defeat blockers’ fingers fail, he can battle to disengage as soon as an offensive lineman latches onto him.

Likewise, he doesn’t have a giant deal with radius, nor can he make performs off of blockers.

Secondly, whereas Gillotte has go off the road and a versatile decrease physique for his peak, he isn’t an ideal athlete general. He lacks the pace to constantly threaten the sting, and he doesn’t fairly have ok change of route expertise to carry down agile ball carriers.

And whereas he was dropped into protection occasionally, he appeared awkward and stiff in house. That would restrict his attraction to groups that use “multiple” ideas and ask their edge defenders to sometimes play off-ball linebacker.

Sport Tape

(Gillotte is the Louisville edge defender carrying quantity 9, with lengthy hair and black bands on his wrists.)

Projection

Gillotte initiatives as a rotational edge defender with positional and schematic versatility.

He’s a high-effort participant who understands the way to use his traits to his greatest benefit, however Gillotte’s ceiling could at all times be restricted by his size and lack of elite athleticism.

Gillotte must be a dependable run defender, whereas his burst and positional range ought to enable groups to place him in place to be a productive move rusher. He won’t be an every-down participant on the subsequent degree, however he must be a defender groups really feel comfy with on the sector in aid of a starter or as part of subpackages.

Does he match the Giants?Probably, relying on their defensive scheme.

Remaining Phrase: A late Day 2 or early Day 3 worth