Patriots Linked to Unique Defender

The New England Patriots have been connected to a very intriguing defensive player in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Louisville’s Ashton Gillotte warms up for Spring Practice on Thursday. April 4, 2024 / Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

While most of the New England Patriots' issues are on the offensive side of the ball, there is no question that they also need help defensively.

The Patriots' defense has declined considerably this season, and it has become increasingly obvious that they need more pass rushers, among other things.

New England will have plenty of cap space to make some moves in free agency, but it should also be prepared to heavily invest in defense in the NFL Draft.

Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski has put together a list of some intriguing prospects heading into the offseason, and he has named Louisville Cardinals defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte as a potential fit for the Pats.

"At 275 pounds, he's a bit of a tweener," Sobleski wrote of Gillotte. "He's too small to play every down on the interior yet too big and lacks the explosiveness of every-down edge players. However, his ability to slide up and down the defensive front has painted an intriguing profile for Gillotte, who has accumulated 21 pressures in his last three starts."

Gillotte has logged 36 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks this season. It's actually been a bit of a down year for him statistically, as he racked up 45 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and three forced fumbls in 2023.

The 22-year-old arrived at Louisville in 2021 and instantly made an impact, posting 19 stops, eight tackles for loss and four sacks during his freshman year. He followed that up by registering 24 tackles, eight tackles for loss and seven sacks in his sophomore campaign.

Gillotte has a wide range of draft projections, but it's very possible that the Patriots may be able to pick him up in the third round.

Either way, New England should be taking a look at Gillotte, who could end up providing its defensive front with major assistance.

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