‘We’re going to rely on both of those guys’ — Steve Spagnuolo anticipates outsized role for pair of Chiefs rookies as early as Week 1
Kansas City Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo set expectations for a pair of rookies heading into Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season.
The Kansas City Chiefs have two rookie defensive linemen, and they intend to use them, according to defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. They could even see a healthy dose of snaps as early as Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Ashton Gillotte managed a steady rise throughout the preseason, notching a pressure in each of his first three preseason games. He even earned a bit of a nickname from special teams coordinator Dave Toub after preseason Week 2. However, all the work he put in culminated in his preseason Week 3 performance, where he took over a four-play stretch, generating both pressure and defensive stops in the process. His motor and football IQ were very apparent in that final game, and it’ll be something that Spagnuolo will look to deploy with the regular season just around the corner.
“I thought (Ashton Gillotte) played really good, too,” Spags said. “He had some explosive play as well, a tackle for a loss, you know, he busted right through. You know, it was a slow go at the beginning with both those guys, from the standpoint of learning the system, but Ashton just gets better and better. He impresses guys in one-on-ones, and the things that he’s doing, you know, he’s real strong from the waist down.”
While Gillotte’s progress has been a welcome development, the player the Chiefs may need more from as the season gets underway is a bit of a mystery.
Chiefs are still finding out what DT Omarr Norman-Lott is all about, but they need him after Mike Pennel’s departure
With Mike Pennel joining the Bengals’ practice squad in Cincinnati, the Chiefs are set to open the season with a recently returned Derrick Nnadi and rookie DT Omarr Norman-Lott opposite Chris Jones. The verdict is still out on Norman-Lott, who missed time during training camp and the preseason with an ankle injury.
“Omarr (Norman-Lott) has just kind of taken a little while to get going,” Spagnuolo said. “You know, he makes strides, and then he gets an injury here, and that’s been a tough thing for him to get through. So, we’ll see where we’re at by the time we get to game time. But as we get going here in the course of the season, we’re going to rely on both of (Omarr Norman-Lott & Ashton Gillotte) those guys.”
It’s worth noting that Norman-Lott graded out positively as a run defender in preseason Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals, but didn’t play quite as well in preseason Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, according to Pro Football Focus. The average of the two grades ranked him with the second-highest run defense grade among Chiefs interior defensive linemen for the preseason (61.2), ahead of even Chris Jones. Currently, he needs to prove that he’s healthy and can maintain his health, so that he can continue to make positive strides within Spags’ defensive scheme.
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