The Los Angeles Chargers doubled down on offense with their first two picks, taking North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton in the first, then Ole Miss wide receiver Tre Harris in the second.
With the 86th pick in the third round, the Chargers took Oregon defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell. With the 125th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Chargers selected South Carolina edge rusher Kyle Kennard.
With the 158th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft they selected they selected Auburn wide receiver. Then they traded into the 5th round to pick 165 in the 5th round to take Oronde Gadsden II, a tight end out of Syracuse.
Los Angeles Chargers Select Oronde Gadsden II With Pick 165 In the 5th Round
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranks Oronde Gadsden II as the 8th-best tight end in the 2025 NFL Draft class, writing, “Gadsden is an athletic pass catcher with the adjustment skills and catch radius to be a possession target in an NFL offense, although his average frame and marginal ability to sustain blocks create questions about his role. He projects best as an F tight end who can be flexed across the formation and should continue to get better.”
Oronde Gadsden II established himself as a productive receiving tight end during his two-year starting career at Syracuse. Playing in offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon’s pro-spread system, Gadsden demonstrated versatility in his alignment, with 58.3 percent of his 2024 snaps coming in the slot, 32.6 percent inline, and 8.7 percent out wide.
Gadsden, who initially enrolled as a wide receiver, transitioned to a hybrid tight end role as a sophomore, resulting in the two most productive seasons for a tight end in Syracuse history (2022 and 2024), with a season-ending injury interrupting his 2023 campaign. Following in the footsteps of his father, who played in the NFL, Gadsden possesses a valuable trait: he provides a large, reliable target for his quarterback. He effectively uses his frame, focus, and long arms to secure catches, even on less-than-perfect throws.
While Gadsden demonstrates functional athleticism as a route runner, his route setup and pacing are still areas under development. Additionally, his “yards after catch” production was relatively low in 2024 (27.5 percent of his total yards), which is among the lowest rates in the FBS. As a blocker, Gadsden provides consistent effort and can impede defenders, but he lacks the strength to consistently move them at the point of attack in the run game.
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