The Los Angeles Chargers waited until the third game of the 2025 season to get rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II involved in the offensive game plan, and the result has been so impressive that it seems as though Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert have no choice but to keep rolling with him as a part of the passing game.
Gadsden has caught seven passes for 62 yards in his first two games of action, and he may have left some meat on the bone due to some missed throws. Gadsden's performance has been solid, but some sites believe that barely any rookies have been as good as him.
Pro Football Focus listed Gadsden as their 13th-highest-graded rookie in the 2025 class to this point, sandwiched in between Panthers Top 10 wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and Falcons rookie starter Xavier Watts. Not bad for someone that LA was able to snag in the middle of the Day 3 of the Draft.
Chargers TE Oronde Gadsden II ranked as top rookie by PFF
Gadsden, the son of former Dolphins wide Oronde Gadsden, has always been billed as a better receiving tight end than a blocker, which may have made him an odd fit in a Greg Roman offense that wants to run the ball as much as possible. Ultimately, his receiving talent became too good to ignore.
Gadsden, who actually started his college career at Syracuse as a wide receiver, has two seasons of over 900 yards in his back pocket. At this rate, Gadsden is going to be more than a Stone Smartt-esque jump wide receiver and could become this team's tight end of the future.
The Chargers may have signed Tyler Conklin to start after some wholly average seasons with the New York Jets, but the difference in overall speed and receiving upside is clear and obvious to even the untrained eye out there. As the year goes on, look for Gadsden to receive an even bigger percentage of the touches.
Even as Quentin Johnston emerges in what has become a breakout season, Herbert is still in need of more pass-catchers. If Gadsden eventually overtakes Conklin, which could be accomplished by continuing to take steps forward as a blocker, he could fill a hole that LA has been trying to plug for years.