The Justin Herbert-Oronde Gadsden connection is beginning to look lethal

The Los Angeles Chargers may look back on their 2025 draft class in a few years and smile at how many offensive playmakers they gathered. Their first two picks in Omarion Hampton and Tre Harris drew most of the attention, but now two more names have been thrown into the mix.

KeAndre Lambert-Smith had done more than expected thus far in training camp, making explosive plays left and right. He followed it up by leading the Bolts in receiving during the Hall of Fame game with two catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. That's one fifth-round pick looking like a steal, but how about one more?

Seven picks later, the Chargers selected Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II. What makes Gadsden stand out is that he was a former receiver, giving him the best of both worlds at the tight end position. He broke out in 2024 with 73 catches for 934 yards and seven touchdowns.

Gadsden's work ethic had been noticed since the first day he stepped into the Chargers' facility, which so happens to be at 5 a.m. every morning. He'd made plays all spring and carried that momentum into training camp. In Saturday's practice, Justin Herbert found Gadsden for a big gain.

"With the ball starting at the 25-yard line, Herbert and the offense got the session started with the upper hand. The Chargers quarterback found rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden open down the right sideline for a pickup of 18 yards on the first play of the drill."

Herbert has been connecting with the rookie class consistently this summer, a good sign for potential things to come. Gadsden being one of them, he could stand out in the tight end room immediately.

While they did bring in veteran Tyler Conklin to be their main option for now, Gadsden's route to becoming the Bolts' primary tight end isn't as tough as one may think. Conklin shouldn't be discounted, however, as he'd had 50+ catches in each of the last four seasons and could be a sneaky good addition to the Chargers' set of weapons.

Gadsden's strong summer could lead to a solid rookie season.

herbo 🎯 OG pic.twitter.com/oX4WdlA6Eg
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 3, 2025

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