Chiefs Announce Rookie of Year, Voted by Players

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ashton Gillotte played the best game of his rookie season against the reigning NFL MVP.

That was one reason his Kansas City teammates voted him the 2025 Mack Lee Hill Award winner as the team’s rookie of the year, announced by the Chiefs Saturday morning.

On Nov. 2 at Buffalo, Gillotte kept the Chiefs in the game with his highest-graded outing. Pro Football Focus gave him a 79.8 grade in the 28-21 loss. The contest was memorable for the defensive end because he earned his first NFL sack, dropping Josh Allen, with the rookie’s family in the stands.

The team’s first of two third-round selections (66th overall) in last April’s draft, Gillotte played all 17 games with two starts. He finished with 1½ sacks and 38 tackles (14 solo), as well as the first interception in an organized game he could remember.

Nearly a rookie touchdown

Gillotte secured that interception in the Week 14 loss to the Chargers, picking off a batted Justin Herbert pass and returning the turnover 14 yards. Had George Karlaftis not missed a block, the rookie might’ve scored.

A 6-3, 270-pound defensive end out of Louisville, Gillotte followed Karlaftis much of the year, capitalizing on an opportunity created by the veteran’s thumb injury. Hampered most of the season, Karlaftis played with a brace covering his hand.

Potential starter in 2026

Gillotte, who finished his rookie season with 24 quarterback pressures, is a strong candidate to replace Mike Danna in the starting lineup should the Chiefs choose to release the veteran in a salary-cap move.

Gillotte actually graded out much better (66.7) against the run than the pass (48.7). Per Pro Football Focus, he ranked 40th among 115 edge rushers on run snaps.

The first defensive lineman since Dontari Poe in 2012 to earn the rookie honor for the Chiefs, Gillotte was one of several candidates. Gillotte’s primary competition was cornerback Nohl Williams, who arguably was more deserving.

Williams, the second of those two third-round picks (85th overall) following Gillotte, also played all 17 games, with five starts. A dynamic cornerback, he quickly earned Steve Spagnuolo’s trust and played well against some of the league’s best wideouts, including DeVonta Smith, Malik Nabers, DeAndre Hopkins, Courtland Sutton and Nico Collins.

nohl william — Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) carries the ball against Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill (23) and cornerback Nohl Williams (20) in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Through five weeks, Josh Simmons was without question the team’s best rookie. But the starting left tackle and first-round selection missed five weeks on a personal leave, then sustained a season-ending wrist injury on Thanksgiving.

Really, the only draft choice who didn’t get a solid look as a rookie was fourth-round wide receiver Jalen Royals. Brett Veach’s 2025 class has plenty of upside, including non-drafted free agents Cooper McDonald and Kevin Knowles.

Wide receiver Xavier Worthy won the honor in 2024.

Hill was a Chiefs fullback in the 1960s who passed away tragically on the operating table due to complications from a 1965 surgery to repair a torn knee ligament.

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