The Los Angeles Chargers are having plenty of names back on the roster which means they are getting healthy. However, if there was a silver lining during the injury plague they suffered, is the emerging star Jim Harbaugh found. Now that Justin Herbert has a new weapon, this is a team with plenty of potential.
Picked on the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, tight end Oronde Gadsden II has blossomed into one of the best tight ends in the league in the last few weeks. His targets have increased massively in the last three games and he’s made the most of it.
Gadsden has played 75%, 79%, and 77% of snaps during the last three Chargers games. He is earning playing time and he is becoming one of those names that will burn you if not given the proper attention. Especially under a Jim Harbaugh scheme, tight ends will eat.
Gadsden is a tall yet pacy tight end
Gadsden has caught 19/22 targets in the last three weeks but his safe hands are not the only thing good about him. He also has weird speed for a tight end and his routes are crisp for the position. In fact, even Justin Herbert said they saw his potential back in camp.
During the press conference, the QB said, “He made a ton of plays [in camp], picked up the offense really quickly, found a way to get open. And that’s what he did tonight. We’re definitely going to get him the ball as much as we can because good things happen when he gets it.“ Nothing beats a QB endorsement.
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Gadsden is outplaying most tight ends in his draft class
Gadsden was the 9th tight end picked in the NFL Draft behind Colston Loveland (CHI), Tyler Warren (IND), Mason Taylor (NYJ), Terrance Ferguson (LAR), Elijah Arroyo (SEA), Harold Fannin Jr. (TE), Gunnar Helm (TEN), and Mitchell Evans (CAR). There’s an argument to be made that he is arguably the second-best rookie tight end behing Tyler Warren.
While Fannin and Taylor have looked decent, Gadsden has more receiving yards than them already. He has 385 yards, only behind Tyler Warren with 439. However, it must be said, that Gadsden has played six games while most TEs have played seven. It’s just amazing to see how he’s flourished into a star.
