Chargers Roster Spotlights: Oronde Gadsden II, The Chargers' Next All-Time Great TE?

Oronde Gadsden II, born on June 25, 2003 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida grew up watching his father Oronde Gadsden (Senior) make incredible one-handed catches, showing what his son what it takes to be an NFL player. Gadsden II, ready to dominate at the high school level, took his talents to American Heritage in Plantation, Florida where he played under head coach Patrick Surtain (the father of Pat Surtain II).

Under the leadership of Surtain and his father, the high school wide receiver was able to commit to Syracuse as a three-star wide receiver prospect.

As a freshman, Gadsden II did not see much playing time. However, in his sophomore season, still at wide receiver, the Florida native broke out, collecting 975 yards and six touchdowns.

Trying to follow this up in 2023 as a junior, Gadsden II unfortunately suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury, ruining his hopes to go pro as a true junior. He returned in 2024, completing his transition to TE, putting up 934 yards and seven touchdowns in his first true season at the position.

He was on 2025 NFL Draft radars, earning anywhere from third to sixth round grades, depending on the scout's feelings on a tight end who is new to the position and lacks the strength to play inline but has special speed and receiving ability.

Chargers Oronde Gadsden II, TE Syracuse

The Syracuse WR/TE was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, trading up to select the intriguing prospect.

After a slow start to the season, Gadsden II was given the keys to start at the position, having an insane stretch in the middle of the year, outpacing the first-round tight ends drafted in the same class.

While the end of the year saw Gadsden II see some decline in production, he still ended the year as one of the biggest steals in the entire 2025 NFL Draft, even proving doubters wrong with his blocking, becoming a functional blocker in the league, something that many did not see coming so soon for the former Syracuse receiver.

2025 Season Stats

15 Games
49 Catches
664 Yards
3 Touchdowns

Measurables

Contract Status

"Oronde Gadsden II signed a 4 year, $4,574,036 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including $374,036 signing bonus, $374,036 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $1,143,509. In 2026, Gadsden II will earn a base salary of $1,005,000, while carrying a cap hit of $1,098,509 and a dead cap value of $280,527." - Spotrac

Oronde Gadsden II's 2026 Season Outlook

Going into 2026, Gadsden II is expected to continue being one of the focal points of the offense, even with the change at offensive coordinator, with the addition of Mike McDaniel. He will also see more competition and mouths to feed in the room, with veterans Charlie Kolar and David Njoku joining the team, likely garnering attention, taking away the likely volume that Gadsden II was expected to get before their addition.

Even with more mouths to feed on offense, Gadsden II is still expected to be one of the league's best young tight ends once again in 2026.

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