For the Chiefs, Syracuse TE Oronde Gadsden II is worth a bet

As I’ve written about the tight end prospects that might be available to the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL Draft, I’ve been lower on most of them than many other analysts.

Aside from Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland, I wasn’t optimistic about Kansas City’s options. I like Elijah Arroyo, but he has a medical red flag. For a variety of reasons, I’m not high on Mason Taylor, Terrance Ferguson, Gunner Helm or Harold Fannin Jr., either.

But then I watched Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II. After looking at his film, I would take him above any of those other tight ends.

Why do I believe in him? Let’s dig in.

Background

Gadsden’s name may seem familiar to you. That’s because his father is former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Oronde Gadsden Sr., who collected 3,252 yards and 22 touchdowns over a six-season NFL career that ended in 2003.

Coming out of American Heritage High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Oronde Gadsden II was a three-star recruit as a wide receiver. While he had interest from Big 10 schools like Penn State, Minnesota and Indiana — and had an SEC offer from Kentucky — he committed to Syracuse, where he spent four seasons with the Orangemen.

He broke out in his sophomore season, when he was named first-team All-ACC after recording 61 catches for 975 yards and six touchdowns.

He converted to tight end for his junior year, but missed all but two games with a Lisfranc injury. The following season, he bounced back with 73 catches, 934 yards, and six touchdowns, making the All-ACC first team and the All-American third team.

Gadsden arrived at the NFL Scouting Combine at just over 6 feet 4, with 33 3/8-inch arms and 10-inch hands. At 243 pounds, he has some weight concerns — but he did very well with a 4.65-second 40-yard dash (including a 1.62-second 10-yard split), along with solid numbers in the vertical jump (34 inches) and the broad jump (9 feet 6).

Film evaluation

As a former wide receiver, Gadsden primarily played in the slot, where he had 380 snaps (44% of his total) for the Orangemen in 2024 — and can be a matchup nightmare.

With his long legs, Gadsden is best on downfield routes. He’s also very good on deep crossing routes, where he can stride out on a vertical release with enough fluidity to generate separation as he crosses the field. For Syracuse, Gadsden would run slot fades (like a smaller wide receiver) and get on top of slot defenders, where he could use his ball skills (and tracking ability) to win contested catches.

Gadsden’s frame makes him less than ideal for pivot routes where he has to sink his hips, but he can work as an underneath route runner. His feel for space is strong and he’s good at turning upfield on a scramble drill, so he can be a threat late into a play.

One underrated aspect of Gadsden’s game is his work as an isolated wide receiver. Syracuse would occasionally let him play as an X receiver, where he showed the ability to win on slant routes. I think this skillset would best be used in the red zone.

One area where Gadsden has shown improvement is his blocking. In 2022, he played only 82 snaps (11% of his total) as an inline tight end. As he added weight to get stronger, Syracuse was more comfortable having him play inline; in 2024, he increased his snaps there to 350 (41%).

While he’s willing to do it — which is a good sign — Gadsden isn’t yet very good at blocking inline. He showed some flashes where he blocked well — particularly in pass protection — and his angles are solid. His development in such a short time is encouraging — and he does have the height, length and wingspan to suggest he can fill out his frame. If he can get to 250 pounds or more, I think he could have a real future as an inline blocker.

Doing so would add another layer to Gadsden’s game. He’s already very good at chipping-and-releasing, getting underneath as a late outlet and turning upfield with his strides.

How he fits with the Chiefs

There is a lot about Gadsden’s skillset that would intrigue me in Kansas City, where the team hasn’t had a tight end with these skills next to Travis Kelce. Gadsden can stretch the field, win on vertical routes from the slot and add some utility as a blocker. Early in his career, I think the Chiefs could build around his ability as a slot receiver. Until he adds more weight, I doubt he’ll play inline very much — but until then, his receiving skillset would give him instant utility as a red-zone component in the Kansas City offense.

The bottom line

After Warren, Loveland and Arroyo, I think most of the tight ends are projects. It’s fair to be excited about Taylor or Ferguson as receivers, but both are too far away from being good blockers — and I question their ability to add weight to their frames. Helm has some good tape, but if his athleticism is as poor as his testing revealed, he’ll have little utility. Taking any of these other tight ends in the second round — or early in the third — will present a high risk.

Gadsden hasn’t been going very high in mock drafts, but I see similar talent — and a better chance at adding weight to improve as a tight end. He’s displayed receiving ability across multiple seasons and diversified his skillset. If I’m projecting growth, I feel more comfortable with Gadsden’s path than any other tight end after Arroyo.

Grade: Round 3