Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo spoke to reporters recently, revealing his thoughts on Ashton Gillotte and Omarr Norman-Lott going into the regular season.

“I thought he (Ashton Gillotte) played really good, too. He had some explosive plays, a tackle for a loss where he busted right through. It was slow-go at the beginning with both (of) those guys from the standpoint of learning the system. But Ashton (Gillotte) just gets better and better.” said Spagnuolo, “He impresses guys in one-on-ones and the things that he’s doing, he’s real strong from the waist down. Omarr (Norman-Lott) is just kind of taking a little while to get going, 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 gametime. But as we get going here in the course of the season, we’re going to rely on both of those guys.”

Gillotte impressed during the preseason with his energy and intensity on defense and special teams. He collected five tackles but showed flashes of his ability as a potent pass rusher.

Norman-Lott suffered an ankle injury in the Chiefs’ second preseason game and has been slowed as the team focuses on his recovery. The second-round pick is essential for the middle of the defensive line and is loaded with potential from training camp.