The Chargers made their first trade of the draft, sending Nos. 181 and 209 (both sixth-rounders) to Philadelphia for No. 165 and selecting tight end Oronde Gadsden II in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Get all of your Bolts draft news at the Chargers 2025 Draft Hub.
Here are five things to know about the Syracuse tight end:
1. Most productive TE in Orange history
Syracuse never saw a more productive player at the tight end position than Gadsden.
The tight end rewrote the school's record books, setting new marks for receptions and yards by a tight end after 141 catches for 1,970 yards across in 28 games.
He also boasts the program's top two individual seasons for receptions, a mark he broke twice in 2022 and in 2024.
Gadsden ended his career sixth in Syracuse history overall in career receiving yards per game averaging 55.3 per game and fifth in career receptions.
2. 2024 All-American
Gadsden's final season with the Orange was his best.
A First-Team All-ACC selection, he earned Third Team All-American honors after a Syracuse tight end single season record of 73 receptions. The mark was good for fourth-most by a tight end in the nation.
He took those receptions for 934 yards and seven touchdowns, as he ranked sixth among FBS tight ends with at least 50 targets in Pro Football Focus offense grade with a 82.6 (best in ACC).
Take a look through some photos of the Chargers selection at No.165 in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Tight End Oronde Gadsden II from the Syracuse University.
Syracuse wide receiver Oronde Gadsden II runs with the ball during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Purdue in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Syracuse won 32-29. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Syracuse wide receiver Oronde Gadsden II runs with the ball during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Purdue in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Syracuse won 32-29. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Syracuse wide receiver Oronde Gadsden II (19) runs on the field during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Virginia on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022 in Syracuse, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Syracuse wide receiver Oronde Gadsden II (19) runs on the field during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Virginia on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022 in Syracuse, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Syracuse wide receiver Oronde Gadsden II (19) runs on the field during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Virginia on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022 in Syracuse, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Syracuse wide receiver Oronde Gadsden II (19) and wide receiver Courtney Jackson (9) run on the field during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Virginia on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022 in Syracuse, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Syracuse wide receiver Oronde Gadsden II (19) makes a touchdown catch as North Carolina State cornerback Derrek Pitts Jr. (24) defends during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, in Syracuse, N.Y. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)
Syracuse wide receiver Oronde Gadsden II (19) makes a touchdown catch during the second half of an NCAA college football game against North Carolina State, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, in Syracuse, N.Y. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)
Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II (19) warms up before an NCAA college football game against Colgate in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II (19) warms up before an NCAA college football game against Western Michigan in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II (19) on the sidelines during an NCAA college football game between Purdue and Syracuse in West Lafayette, Ind., Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. Syracuse won 35-20. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
FILE - Syracuse wide receiver Oronde Gadsden II, center, scores a touchdown against Purdue during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Gadsden's season-ending injury was picked as the biggest injury for the first half of the season in the Atlantic Coast Conference in The Associated Press' midseason report. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus, File)
Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II (19) celebrates after scoring during the first half of an NCAA football game against Ohio on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 in Syracuse, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II (19) runs on the field during the second half of an NCAA football game against Stanford on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024 in Syracuse, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II (19) is congratulated by tight end Maximilian Mang (0) after scoring a touchdown during the first half of the Holiday Bowl NCAA college football game against Washington State Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, February 28, 2025. (Brooke Sutton via AP)
3. Switching to TE
Gadsden might look like a natural at tight end, but it was his second position in college football.
He was recruited and spent his first season at Syracuse as a wide receiver, before switching to tight end ahead of the 2022 season.
And it paid off in a big way, as he exploded in the offense catching 61 passes for 969 yards and six touchdowns, leading all tight ends nationally in receiving yardage.
He even earned First-Team All-ACC honors in his first season at the position, setting the single-season record for receptions by a tight end, which he later broke again.
4. Two-time state champion
Attending American Heritage School in Florida, Gadsden spent his prep career as a wide receiver.
And he was coached former NFL All-Pro Patrick Surtain, who was the head coach during his time at the school.
Gadsden worked his way to becoming a three-star prospect and was a two-time state champion in Florida.
5. NFL bloodlines
Gadsden is now the second person in his family to make it to the pros.
His father, a former wide receiver, played six seasons in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins from 1998 to 2003.
The elder Gadsden caught 227 career passes for 3,252 yards and 22 touchdowns, and most notably caught Hall of Famer Dan Marino's final touchdown pass.
Gadsden's Pop Warner team featured former Dolphins players Sam Madison (head coach), Dan Marino (offensive coordinator) and Jason Taylor (defensive coordinator). Gadsden's father was an assistant coach.
