In place of one or two big signings this offseason the LA Chargers opted to spread their salary-cap space out and bring in a slew of players. One of those players was veteran tight end Tyler Conklin, who joins the Chargers from the New York Jets.
While Conklin isn't a top tight end in the league, his upside as a pass-catcher intrigued Chargers fans from the jump. Conklin hasn't played with a quarterback as talented as Justin Herbert (even old man Aaron Rodgers) and offers a more dynamic pass-catching option than Will Dissly.
Conklin hasn't even played a game with the Chargers yet and he is already being overshadowed by one of his teammates, though. While Conklin will still have an impact on the Chargers' passing game, it might be someone else who has an even bigger impact.
Tyler Conklin has been outshined by Chargers rookie Oronde Gadsden II
The Chargers traded up to take Oronde Gadsden II in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft and all he has done since is prove the team right. Gadsden was one of the biggest winners of Chargers minicamp and has been compared to former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller.
Gadsden isn't just shining on the practice field, he is doing all the right things behind the scenes to be an instant difference maker on the Chargers. The rookie tight end is showing up to the team facility as early as 5:30 AM to put in the work to get better.
He is a Jim Harbaugh guy through and through. The way the coaching staff is talking about him indicates that.
Various Chargers coaches have had nothing but great things to say about Gadsden. Harbaugh himself even said that Gadsden is a better blocker in person than the team saw on tape. This is particularly important for the tight end rotation, as it may give Gadsden an edge in snaps played over Conklin.
It's always good to have multiple options and if Conklin just serves as a veteran depth piece that is a great "worst-case scenario". If Gadsden doesn't quite live up to the hype, then Conklin will be there as a security blanket.
Or who knows, perhaps both players make strides as blockers and end up phasing Dissly out of the rotation (although that is unlikely). But as it stands right now, with the way the two players have performed, Gadsden very well could be the TE2.