The Kansas City Chiefs needed to add to both sides of the football this offseason. One way that they achieved that was drafting several players to the roster through the 2025 NFL Draft. All of the new rookies are hoping to make an impact on the roster sooner rather than later.
Two of the defensive rookies that are looking to shine are Chiefs second-round pick Omarr Norman-Lott and third-round pick Ashton Gillotte. Both Norman-Lott and Gillotte fill roles that the Chiefs needed to add to, especially as the depth runs thin at those positions.
With the Chiefs wrapping up mandatory minicamp on Thursday, the new focus for the entire roster is to prepare for training camp, which will begin July 21. For Norman-Lott and Gillotte, they’re looking to continue the success they’ve had thus far through the offseason to earn a spot on the roster for Week 1.
Chiefs linebacker, the center stone of the defense, Nick Bolton, spoke to the media following the Chiefs’ final practice of mandatory minicamp. When talking to the media, Bolton made his observations of both Norman-Lott and Gillotte clear.
“I was super surprised at how smart those guys were,” Bolton said of Norman-Lott and Gillotte. “How focused they were, how self-driven they were. I actually got the chance to kind of look at them in the rookie mini-camp they had before we got down here. And I understand, like, conceptually wise, how difficult it is coming from college and playing in a multi-scheme here. So those guys are picking it up, making calls, making reads.”
Bolton has been with the Chiefs since he was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. While he has grown into the star he is today, it wasn’t always easy for him. When discussing the rookies, Bolton believes they are far ahead of where he began.
“They’re clicking,” Bolton said. “They understand communication, understand concepts, what we want to do, and what we want to present to the quarterback. So they’re miles ahead of where I was….those guys have little to no mistakes or mental errors. As you progress, you want to limit mental errors and just play fast. Football is not perfect, but the mental part can be.”
