NFL Draft
1/8/25
7 min read
Oronde Gadsden II 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Syracuse Orange TE
Height: 6050 (unofficial)
Weight: 235lbs (unofficial)
Year: Redshirt Junior
Pro Comparison: Ladarius Green
Scouting Overview
Syracuse Orange tight end Oronde Gadsden II projects as a valuable member of an NFL receiving game. This is a player whose career started at wide receiver and, for some teams, that may be all he is — as the middle-of-the-field receiving ability and the strength of his hands in traffic are hallmarks of his play that beg to have role despite some of his limitations in the ancillary areas of his position away from the football.
If his new team hopes to draw out the most of his game, it'll need to be prepared to invest significant investment into his blocking role; although Gadsden II does not likely project to a successful in-line talent and should be regarded as a flex player if he’s not destined to play as a big receiver in the pros. His ability to win catch point real estate and ball skills are too good not to swing on at one position or the other, however.
2025 NFL Combine Results
TBD
Positives
- Massive catch radius and arrogant hands to attack the football in flight
- Very good body control at the catch point to adjust to back-shoulder and high-point target
- Mismatch player in space for linebackers and safeties, thanks to his background at wide receiver
Negatives
- Opportunities as an in-line player are not productive, and his versatility is limited to the passing game
- Has not illustrated desirable intensity and urgency as a blocker to seal off defenders detached from the core
- High cut runner who lacks imagination in the open field to force missed tackles
Background
Gadsden II is the son of former NFL wide receiver Oronde Gadsden. His father played for the Miami Dolphins, and as such, the younger Gadsden was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He played his high school football for American Heritage HS as a wide receiver while also participating in track & field. Gadsden II collected offers as a 3-star recruit (247 Sports) at wide receiver and ultimately elected to enroll at Syracuse.
Gadsden II played in eight games as a true freshman in 2021, missing a month due to injury. He transitioned from wide receiver to tight end after that freshman season and enjoyed a monster breakout season in 2022. He logged 61 passes for 969 yards and 6 scores to lead the country in receiving yards by a tight end while setting records at Syracuse for receptions by a sophomore, receptions, and receiving yards by a tight end. He was named First Team All-ACC for his efforts.
Gadsden II redshirted in 2023 after suffering a season-ending injury on the first offensive play from scrimmage in the team’s second game of the year. He underwent Lisfranc surgery for the injury, but he bounced back strong in 2024 before declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft with one year of eligibility remaining.
Tale Of The Tape
This isn’t necessarily a clean projection to the NFL’s world at tight end. But my goodness, does Gadsden II attack the ball in the air just like his old man.
Watching Gadsden II easily illustrate effortless catch-point adjustments and high-level body control while plucking the football out of midair brings back flashes of his father in the late 1990s. Gadsden II has some of the most arrogant catch-point demeanor in the class. He’s like a power forward in the post in these situations; he shuffles and leverages his hands while subtly positioning for the right late hinge to the ball.
He’s a general vicinity target as well — as he has the hands to on the outer rim of his catch radius and haul in passes with equal confidence. Syracuse quarterbacks have made him work for receptions, exposing him to body blows over the middle, forcing him to high-point red zone targets through contact or through traditional (and intended) back shoulder balls along the sideline.
Gadsden II’s ability as a route runner profiles well at the tight end position. He’s not often asked to release from an in-line position, and doing so at the NFL level feels like an unnecessary additional layer to expose him to and force added development. This is someone who benefits from his size and speed combination against linebackers and safeties, although teams who try to plaster him with nickel corners may be in for a rude awakening, too. Gadsden II runs fades, outs, shallow & deep crosses, hitches, deep hooks, etc, effectively. His receiver background serves him extremely well when paired with his big frame. This route versatility offers opportunity early in pass-heavy situations and personnel groupings.
I love the way he finishes runs with the ball in his hands. He runs angry, although unimaginative. This is a player who is more than content to run through the face of a perimeter corner after taking catches in stride and turning upfield. That same arrogance and alpha demeanor that shows up at the catch point (he’s over 50 percent conversion on contested catches across nearly 50 opportunities) springs up again at the end of runs.
That said, this is a player who has an incomplete profile at the tight end position and likely will not be for everyone. Teams that play a lot of 11p will likely regard him as a complete developmental player no matter how good the receiving profile is. He’s hardly ever asked to put his hand in the dirt — normally just jumbo and short-yardage reps.
And when he is asked to do it, he’s typically charged with an A-level double-team assignment. Even his short-yardage run reps as a flexed player into space are usually just for spacing purposes, and don’t ask him to work hard and dig out a linebacker or safety. There’s not a lot of stickiness in these situations from either alignment, and he struggles with framing and punch power, just as you’d expect from a hybrid player who has only recently been tabbed with the positional change.
The good news is you’ve seen the confidence to play with physicality before. The bad news is his positional categorization at Syracuse for tight end was, generally, just an excuse to play him at 3-strong. Gadsden II finishes his 4-year career at Syracuse with the same amount of snaps taken in-line (191) as he has played on the perimeter. He’s collected more than 700 snaps in the slot.
Traditionalists aren’t going to see anything other than a big slot receiver, and they may be right — although that does not inhibit him from having a role for any team.
Overall, Gadsden II is a middle-of-the-field and seam receiver with elite hands, ball skills, and toughness at the catch point. His mentality and physical attributes need to be emphasized more than the other elements of playing the position, but he will always blur the lines between a second tight end and a big slot receiver.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Gadsden II has two paths to opportunity in the pros. He can stay at tight end, where he’s classified at Syracuse, and try to develop his ancillary skills without the football. If he can become an effective and impactful space blocker attacking safeties, nickel defenders, and seal attempts on linebackers, he will be afforded the best mismatch opportunity and alignment diversity to potentially become an impact receiver. This is the ideal outcome and opportunity as a developmental flex tight end.
Alternatively, he can return to wide receiver and be regarded as a bigger framed target whose role would be more relegated early on to contributing on special teams and serving as a depth player while he refines his releases and route running to try to win against physical perimeter corners.
Grade: 72.50/100.00, Fourth Round Value
Big Board Rank: TBD
Position Rank: TBD
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