Chargers Acquire No. 165 From Eagles, Select TE Oronde Gadsden II

The Chargers have moved up to acquire pick No. 165 late in the fifth-round order. Los Angeles will send selections 181 and 209 to the Eagles as a result.

The Bolts have selected Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II with their newly-acquired pick. The son of a Super Bowl champion, he will look to follow in his father’s footsteps at the pro level. He will join a Chargers team which has now added three pass-catchers during this weekend’s draft (the first two being wideouts Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith).

A four-year contributor for the Orange, Gadsden showed plenty of potential during his sophomore year when he posted an FBS-leading (for tight ends) 969 yards on 61 receptions. The converted receiver was limited to only two games the following year, however, due to a foot injury. Nevertheless, 2024 allowed Gadsden to rebound in a notable way.

Finishing the year with a 73-934-7 statline, Gadsden earned first-team All-ACC honors last season. That helped his draft stock to a notable extent, although this year’s class has long been known to feature many highly-regarded tight end prospects. Now that his name has been called, the 21-year-old can turn his attention to competing for a roster spot in Los Angeles.

The Chargers saw Stone Smartt depart in free agency this spring, and Hayden Hurst remains unsigned at this point. The team added Tyler Conklin on the open market, however, and the veteran will be counted to play a regular role with his new team. Los Angeles still has Will Dissly and Tucker Fisk on the depth chart as well. Gadsden will have plenty of competition during training camp as a result, but he could serve as a depth pass-catching option at the pro level.