Oronde Gadsden II

Chargers traded up with the Eagles to select Syracuse TE Oronde Gadsden II with the No. 165 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Eagles got picks 181 and 209 in return. Originally recruited as a wide receiver, Gadsden (6’5/243) officially made the transition to tight end after a quiet freshman season. Gadsden popped off as a sophomore with 975 yards and six touchdowns on 61 catches, all three of which easily led the Orange. His position change, however, was entirely superficial as he only lined up as an inline tight end for eight routes. He missed the bulk of the 2023 season with a Lisfranc injury and rebounded in 2024 with a 73/934/7 line. While his counting stats were similar to 2022, Gadsden only accounted for 18 percent of the team’s passing yards compared to 28 percent in his previous breakout campaign. Syracuse’s offense blossomed under Kyle McCord, but the Orange had two other players top 900 yards, leaving Gadsden’s market share numbers lacking. He did, however, run nearly 200 routes from an inline position, giving him more experience as a true tight end. Gadsden is functionally a big slot receiver hidden behind a tight end designation. He will likely spend his rookie season learning the ropes behind Tyler Conklin and Will Dissly.