Time to Shine: Chiefs Rookie Has Prime Opportunity Friday

Gillotte isn’t likely to win that award as a third-round selection (66th overall), but he’s certainly capable of creating opportunities for Chris Jones, George Karlaftis and others. Defensive line coach Joe Cullen sees a lot of similarities in Karlaftis and Gillotte.

“They were coached by the same coach,” Cullen said during camp, referring to Louisville’s defensive line coach Mark Hagen. “Coach Hagen did a great job with George at Purdue, and now he’s at Louisville. But very similar. Both have great motors, both love football, so really, really similar.”

And with Felix Anudike-Uzomah on season-ending injured reserve, Gillotte has a clear runway beginning with Friday’s preseason finale against Chicago (7:20 p.m. CT, KSHB 41, 96.5 The Fan).

Opportunity on defense

Count Steve Spagnuolo among those closely watching Gillotte. What the Chiefs do with their final defensive roster, including defensive end Malik Herring, likely depends largely on what the rookie can do Friday against Caleb Williams and the Bears.

“I know we’ve kept five ends,” Spagnuolo said Tuesday, “and then it’s four, and then maybe I think sometimes we kept six. But it might be one less tackle or one less linebacker.

“But in Felix’s case, the next defensive end is there. Malik got an opportunity to jump up in there. And Ashton’s been playing good football, so we’ll see how it pans out.”

Opportunity on special teams

Gillotte has panned out well on special teams, where coordinator Dave Toub< /a> loved what the rookie provided last Friday at Seattle.

“I think Coach Toub has put me in a lot of positions to work and compete,” Gillotte said Tuesday. “And that’s kind of the bridge of trust there, him putting me in position just to be able to work or put my talents on display. Then just doing it from there.”

While a lock to make the roster, Gillotte because of his special-teams prowess indirectly affects the Chiefs’ decisions at other positions, including wide receiver. Tyquan Thornton, for example, is a virtual lock to make the roster, but he’s also a much different special-teams player, as Toub explained Tuesday.

“The thing about it is, he’s a slight guy,” Toub said, referring to the 6-2, 185-pound wide receiver. “So, he’s got to use his speed; he’s got to use his quickness to get around people. He’s not going to run over anybody like Gillotte. We just got to find a role for him.”

Gillotte isn’t going to be a gunner on the punt team, like Thornton, but the 6-3, 270-pound rookie is a candidate to lead the Chiefs in total snaps (defense and special teams combined). They figure to need his defensive snaps, too.

Sacks lead to Super Bowl titles

In both 2022 and 2023, the last two seasons Kansas City won the Super Bowl, Spagnuolo’s unit finished second among NFL teams in sacks. Last year, the Chiefs were tied for 18th.

But insert Gillotte and second-round defensive tackle Omar Norman-Lott – Gillotte’s new roommate  -- into the rotation on passing downs and the Chiefs might’ve indirectly helped Patrick Mahomes by applying more pressure to opposing quarterbacks.