Scouting Profile: Oronde Gadsden II - TE - Syracuse
Sales Pitch: Former WR with the movement and ball skills to win out wide. Blocking and play strength is a work in progress but has the frame to be legit starter.
*Gold Numbers Indicate NCAA T-25 for 2024*
Scouting Report
Oronde Gadsden II is a former 3-Star WR prospect from the state of Florida. He spent his first season at Syracuse as a redshirt WR before transitioning to TE in 2022, where he became an All-ACC player. Gadsden missed most of 2023 with a foot injury, but was one of the best TEs in football in 2024 with almost 1,000 yards and All-American honors.
Gadsden is a tall receiver with fluid movement skills and plus long speed. The best part of the former WRs game is naturally his pass catching ability. He has easy burst off the line of scrimmage to eat up ground and threaten vertically up the seam. He is smooth in and out of his breaks at all three levels. Gadsden is a technically sound route runner, who knows how to use his feet and size to get leverage and wall off defenders. He possesses a massive catch radius with strong hands to pluck the ball out of the air. His leaping ability and body control make him a weapon in the red zone and down the sideline as well. Gadsden is new to the tight end position, but shows flashes of being a competent blocker. He has the movement skills to get out in space and stay engaged with 2nd level defenders. His long arms and flexible frame are able to take on contact and control reps as a blocker. Drive blocks are the biggest area of concern for Gadsden, but he shows solid pop in his hands as a help blocker and the frame to add more mass. If he can continue to add weight to his frame and improve his technique he has a shot to become an in-line player.
While there is optimism about Gadsden’s growth as a blocker, right now it is too far away. His frame lacks the requisite power or mass to move defensive linemen at the point of attack. He is a upright blocker with a narrow base, which creates difficulties sticking and displacing his target. Gadsden’s inside hand is far too weak and consistently allows players to cross his face. Even when he gets in good position, defenders are able to forklift him and discard him from their path. Gadsden is a good athlete but doesn’t add a ton after the catch. He has the speed to be a catch and run player, but lacks the strength or twitch to create with the ball on a consistent basis.
Gadsden profiles as a F-TE with the upside to be a starting Y if he can fill out his frame. At worst his movement skills and pass catching ability can be a valuable part of a skill group. but there is still upside to his game. Gadsden profiles as a late Day-2/early Day-3 pick as an upside backup tight end.