2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Syracuse TE Oronde Gadsden II
From now till the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ll scout and create profiles for as many prospects as potential, inspecting their strengths, weaknesses, and what they will carry to an NFL franchise. These gamers could possibly be potential prime 10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 alternatives, and precedence undrafted free brokers. At the moment, a scouting report on Syracuse TE Oronde Gadsden II.
#19 ORONDE GADSDEN II/TE SYRACUSE – 6045, 243 POUNDS (Senior)
Measurements
| Participant | Ht/Wt | Hand Dimension | Arm Size | Wingspan |
| Oronde Gadsden II | 6045/243 | 10 | 33 3/8 | 81 5/8 |
| 40-Yard Sprint | 10-Yard Sprint | Quick Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Leap | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’6″ | 34 | N/A |
The Good
– Good age, being 21 on draft night time, together with above-average top that falls within the 67th percentile
– Examined properly on the mix with the testing he selected to take part in, the place his vertical soar landed within the 74th percentile and his broad soar landed within the 52nd percentile
– Stable manufacturing within the two seasons he was wholesome for, the place he mixed for over 1,900 yards and 13 touchdowns
– Stable exhibiting on the Shrine Bowl, the place he regarded like essentially the most constant tight finish
– Flashes some after-the-catch means
– Prime in-game pace exhibits to be good, which makes it exhausting for linebackers to cowl him
– Nice arms catcher who is nice in contested catch conditions and cozy with back-shoulder throws
– Good twitch on the prime of his routes to shake off defenders
– Alignment versatility to be a mismatch in a number of areas
– Capable of finding success in all areas of the sector as a receiver
The Unhealthy
– Provides little or no as a blocker, which limits his means to be an in-line participant on the subsequent degree
– Uncooked participant who’s studying tips on how to play his place since he transitioned from extensive receiver in 2022
– Often appears to jog his routes as an alternative of giving full effort
– Lacks agility, which seems in a number of elements of his recreation
– Not a really perfect goal in a contested catch scenario
– Restricted ceiling as a result of not having a real place and forcing him to be a complimentary participant
Bio
– 21 years previous (June twenty fifth, 2003)
– 36 video games performed for Syracuse from 2021-2024
– 144 offensive touches, 2,012 scrimmage yards, 14 scrimmage touchdowns, and 14.0 yards per catch in his faculty profession
– 74 offensive touches, 946 scrimmage yards, seven scrimmage touchdowns, and 12.8 yards per catch in 2024
– Missed 11 video games in 2023 as a result of a Lisfranc fracture in his proper foot, the place he had surgical procedure to insert a metallic screw after which had a second surgical procedure to take away the screws; missed 4 weeks in 2021 as a result of an undisclosed harm
– Three-star WR in his 2021 highschool class from Fort Lauderdale, FL
– Was a two-sport athlete in highschool, enjoying soccer and monitor
– Father, Oronde Sr., performed extensive receiver and received a Tremendous Bowl in 1995 with the Cowboys regardless of being extra recognized for his stint with the Dolphins from 1998 till 2003
– Teammates with a number of NFL skills at American Heritage Excessive Faculty beneath Head Coach Patrick Surtain Sr., together with Minnesota Vikings’ participant Dallas Turner, Oklahoma Sooner’s Marvin Jones Jr., and Tennessee Titans’ James Williams
– Had 37 catches, 608 yards, and 13 touchdowns for American Heritage Excessive Faculty whereas being a two-time state champion in Florida and a group captain in 2020
– Switched positions from extensive receiver to tight finish in 2022
– Holds quite a few information at Syracuse, which embrace being their profession receptions (141) and yards (1,970) document holder by a decent finish
– Two-time First-team All-ACC (2022 & 2024) and 2024 Third-team AP All-American
Tape Breakdown
Performs like these are why most individuals say Oronde Gadsden ought to transfer again to extensive receiver within the NFL. He solely performed in-line on about 33 % of his snaps. That causes his movie to appear to be this play, the place he’s lined up exterior. He assaults the defender by limiting the house between them earlier than chopping on his nook route. Gadsden exhibits his pure receiver instincts by making a real arms catch and toe-tapping the sideline. This play exhibits his instincts and physique management, that are among the finest on this class when it comes to his place.
— Steven (@Elspedd) March 14, 2025
Right here, Gadsden is lined up because the second tight finish with seemingly an over route. He creates a step of separation by closing the hole, as he did within the earlier clip, earlier than bursting out of his break. He makes certain to assault the ball at its catch level and makes a real arms catch by visitors. Performs like these communicate volumes about who Gadsden is as a receiver.
— Steven (@Elspedd) March 14, 2025
Whereas one among Gadsden’s largest negatives is his blocking, he isn’t fully ineffective in that facet. It is a brief clip of him on the Shrine Bowl, making a reasonably good block on the correct facet of the road to create the dashing lane. Gadsden is aware of that is one among his weaknesses, which is why he spent final spring’s coaching specializing in it and even hopped into some offensive line second-level blocking drills final season. He’s not an excellent blocker, however he actively works to get higher at it.
— Steven (@Elspedd) March 14, 2025
Right here, Gadsden is lined up within the slot with a go-route accountability in opposition to a security. Gadsden has a noticeable top benefit in opposition to the defender, and Syracuse exploits that. The ball is positioned instantly on Gadsden, which forces him into an nearly back-shoulder catch scenario that’s caught with ease. That is an instance of how Gadsden can be utilized as a chess piece and the way defenses can have a tough time matching up with him as a result of his measurement and pace mixture.
— Steven (@Elspedd) March 14, 2025
Though it’s not one among his finest traits, Gadsden exhibits actually promising flashes of getting yards after the catch. He had this unbelievable run in his breakout 2022 marketing campaign in opposition to Wagner, the place he stiff-armed a defender earlier than hitting the following one with a back-juke. On this one play alone, he made two defenders miss in numerous methods. He used energy on the primary defender and finesse on the second, which exhibits the promise Gadsden has on this facet of his recreation.
— Steven (@Elspedd) March 11, 2025
Conclusion
Oronde Gadsden has quite a lot of enhancing to do if he needs to be a constant starter on the subsequent degree. He exhibits nice traits, however they make him seem as a giant receiver enjoying tight finish slightly than a receiving tight finish. He made the change solely in 2022, and regardless that statistically he was dominant, it looks as if a transfer that works in faculty however received’t be on the subsequent degree.
He most closely fits as a day 3 decide who is usually a complimentary participant to a real starter and provides some work on particular groups. Groups ought to draft Gadsden in hopes of creating him to succeed in his full potential, however even at his finest, I battle to see the expertise of a man who will be elite at his place.
My professional comparability for Gadsden is Ed Dickson. Popping out of school, they measured roughly the identical in top, weight, hand measurement, and arm size. In addition they posted equivalent numbers within the broad and vertical jumps. Gadsden was the extra productive of the 2, however I consider they share related ability units. Dickson was somebody who might at all times complement an in-line starter by enjoying extra of that energy slot position. I see Gadsden being the identical approach within the NFL.
Projection: Late Day Two
Depot Draft Grade: 7.3 – Fourth Spherical – Rotational Participant
Video games Watched: Shrine Bowl (2025), California (2024), NC State (2024), Clemson (2022), Wagner (2022)
