As pass rushers who can get after the quarterback from multiple angles are a premium in the NFL, today we look at a guy who’s doing exactly that in the ACC in Ashton Gillotte. Coming from Boca Raton, Florida, Ashton lead his team to a state championship game appearance as a 4 year starter and 2 year team captain. This performance would ultimately earn him a 3 star rating as he committed his talents to the University of Louisville.
His first season in 2021 saw him notch 19 tackles (8 of them for a loss) and 4 sacks. 2022 saw another 23 tackles (7 for loss) and 6 sacks added to his tally. 2023 was his coming out party, however, as he lead the ACC in sacks (11), and added 45 tackles (11.5 for a loss), and three forced fumbles to his resume.
This stellar performance in 2023 also saw Ashton take home First Team all-ACC honors, and Second Team All-American selections from multiple places, including The Athletic and Sports Illustrated, among others. Entering his senior year, he ranked 10th all time in Louisville history in his sack total, needing 10 sacks to enter him into the top 3 in school history.
Player Info
Name: Ashton Gillette
Jersey: No. 9
Position: Defensive Lineman
School: University of Louisville
Class: Senior
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 275 lbs.
Ashton Gillotte’s Strengths
Ashton is like that nice Lamborghini your rich neighbor has; he has a motor that can get up and go quickly, and go for long periods of time. Ashton will still be chasing after quarterbacks long into the fourth quarter, with no signs of slowing down.
His hand usage in the trenches is exceptional, as he finds ways to get his hands up to swat passes down, as well as frustrate even the most adept offensive linemen. He also has an impressive frame (6-3, 275 lbs) and burst off the line of scrimmage, meaning this mountain of a man will be coming at offensive linemen like a runaway freight train.
Ashton Gillotte’s Weaknesses
One of the biggest concerns for Ashton is that he often plays much higher with his pad level, which can reduce or completely negate his effectiveness, his leverage and his power at the point of attack. He also isn’t the most flexible edge rusher in the world, meaning you’d more than likely want to see him inside, as his power and technique are much better than trying to have him bend the corners (rushing around the offensive tackles).
Draft Projection
Ashton currently sits in my top 100 prospects on my big board, and I feel comfortable in projecting him as a late 2nd round/early 3rd round prospect. He will see the field early in sub packages for defensive coaches who need a guy who can get after the quarterback early and often, especially from the interior.
He will have things he needs to fix at the next level (pad level being one of them) before you can consider him an every down defender. Some excellent fits for Ashton:
- Baltimore Ravens (since the Ravens like to use a lot of different defensive sub packages across 4-3/3-4 alignments, Ashton would be a great fit here.)
- Minnesota Vikings (I know, giving Brian Flores another pass rusher seems absolutely unfair at this point, but imagining Ashton in all out blitz sub packages in Flores’ scheme is just nightmares for opposing offenses.)
- Los Angeles Chargers (this would be my likeliest landing spot for Ashton. With the edge rushers currently in LA getting older (Mack/Bosa) you could ask Ashton to take somewhat of a redshirt year, focus on the items he needs to work with, while also getting him some additional snaps in certain situations. Then next year, he comes out and lights the world on fire and we all look crazy for passing on him early.)
