Gadsden Selected by Chargers in NFL Draft
4/26/2025 3:24:00 PM | Football
Tight end Oronde Gadsden II was the first Orange player selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, being selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the 165th overall selection in the fifth round.
The most prolific pass-catching tight end in school history and an All-American, Gadsden leaves Syracuse fifth in program history in receptions and 10th in yards. Among tight ends, he re-wrote the school record book, setting a new career receptions record (141) by 49 catches after posting the top-two individual seasons in school (73 in 2024, 63 in 2022). He was a two-time First Team All-ACC selection.
Gadsden also holds the tight ends yardage record by over 600 yards, concluding his collegiate career with 1,970 yards receiving. His 969 yards in 2022 and 934 yards this past season were each nearly 400 yards above Chris Gedney's 1992 campaign of 587 yards for the previous record. Â
The Fort Lauderdale, Florida native arrived at Syracuse in 2021 as a wide receiver, playing sparingly in his rookie campaign, before being converted to tight end in 2022. His record-breaking sophomore campaign concluded in first-team all-league honors. In 2023, Gadsden picked up right where he left off in the season opener, but suffered a season-ending injury on the first drive of the Orange's second game of the season.
This past season, Gadsden was a steady target for the nation's No. 1 passing offense. He was part of an offensive unit that broke over 20 single-season or career individual/team school records. Gadsden caught 73 passes for 934 yards from QBÂ Kyle McCord. The Orange were the only team in the country that had three-or-more players with 60+ receptions and had four, including Gadsden, achieve the milestone.
The NFL Draft continues on Saturday on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.
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The most prolific pass-catching tight end in school history and an All-American, Gadsden leaves Syracuse fifth in program history in receptions and 10th in yards. Among tight ends, he re-wrote the school record book, setting a new career receptions record (141) by 49 catches after posting the top-two individual seasons in school (73 in 2024, 63 in 2022). He was a two-time First Team All-ACC selection.
Gadsden also holds the tight ends yardage record by over 600 yards, concluding his collegiate career with 1,970 yards receiving. His 969 yards in 2022 and 934 yards this past season were each nearly 400 yards above Chris Gedney's 1992 campaign of 587 yards for the previous record. Â
The Fort Lauderdale, Florida native arrived at Syracuse in 2021 as a wide receiver, playing sparingly in his rookie campaign, before being converted to tight end in 2022. His record-breaking sophomore campaign concluded in first-team all-league honors. In 2023, Gadsden picked up right where he left off in the season opener, but suffered a season-ending injury on the first drive of the Orange's second game of the season.
This past season, Gadsden was a steady target for the nation's No. 1 passing offense. He was part of an offensive unit that broke over 20 single-season or career individual/team school records. Gadsden caught 73 passes for 934 yards from QBÂ Kyle McCord. The Orange were the only team in the country that had three-or-more players with 60+ receptions and had four, including Gadsden, achieve the milestone.
The NFL Draft continues on Saturday on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.
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