chargers rookie

Tre’ Harris watched as Oronde Gadsden II burst by him, the 6-foot-5 tight end chugging over the turf at Golden West College’s football field.

Months before Harris and Gadsden suited up as Chargers rookies, the duo were catching passes from Jaxson Dart — now the starting quarterback for the New York Giants — during pre-NFL Scouting Combine training sessions at the Huntington Beach community college as the trio took advantage of sunny weather in Southern California.

“I saw his talents immediately,” Dart said of Gadsden. “Skill set-wise, I thought he was a very unique athlete, being, you know, the stature that he is. I thought his footwork was some of the best that I’ve seen.”

Over the past two weeks, the footwork that Harris said separates Gadsden from the rest of the NFL, has been on display.

Gadsden, 22, ranks fifth in NFL tight end receiving yards this season (385) despite not playing in the first two games. Two weeks ago, against the Colts, the son of former NFL wide receiver Oronde Gadsden emerged for 164 receiving yards and a touchdown. Against the Vikings last week, the former Syracuse standout, who set the program record for receptions in a season with 73 catches, recorded another 77 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Those accomplishments — which he credits to studying the likes of Chargers teammates Keenan Allen and Will Dissly — earned Gadsden earned NFL Rookie of the Week honors in Week 7, the first Charger to claim the award since Asante Samuel Jr. did it twice in 2021.

“It’s been good, getting in passes with Justin [Herbert], whether it’s a practice, and then following up in the game,” Gadsden said. “It feels good to see all the hard work that I’ve been doing, all the hard work that the whole team has been doing, come forward and translate into the game.”

Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden II (86) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 23.

(Gregory Bull / Associated Press)

Jim Harbaugh can’t help but smile when talking about Gadsden. Asked about the Chargers’ rookies — and the efforts they’ve put in to keep the team afloat amid a rash of injuries — the usually stoic Chargers coach remarked about how wide his grin was before slamming his hands down onto the podium in front of him.

“I mean, Oronde Gadsden,” he said, “of course, has been great.”

Herbert added: “It was only a matter of time until he put together two games like he has back-to-back, and he’s gonna make a ton of plays for us. He’s gonna have a super long career.”

Gadsden had his first opportunity to relax during the mini bye week in the 10-day gap between the Chargers’ win over the Vikings and their game against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. He said it’s been non-stop football for him since the beginning of his senior year at Syracuse; from the college season to pre-draft training, rookie mini camp, and now the NFL season.

Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden II tries to fight off Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks during a Chargers’ win on Oct.12.

(Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press)

For the first time since those training sessions at Golden West, Gadsden decided to visit Disneyland. It was a rare break for Gadsden since his daily pre-draft days working alongside trainer T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the former Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals.

What makes Gadsden a special player, Harris said, is his never-stop attitude. During minicamp, Gadsden would arrive at the facility at 5 a.m. — using his East Coast-wired clock to his advantage to get extra work in.

“I’m not gonna say I knew he was gonna do this,” Harris said of Gadsden’s recent success, before pausing. “There’s not a lot of tight ends that can move like he does. And, you know, I’ve seen it firsthand.”

Before the Chargers put diamonds in any Super Bowl rings, Jim Harbaugh is looking for diamonds on the practice field.

“Rare gems, they don’t just hop out of the ground and into your pocket,” the Chargers coach said as the team began rookie minicamp Friday. “You gotta dig.”

The Chargers are searching for their hidden gems through a unique rookie minicamp. Harbaugh is doing away with most 11-on-11 periods during the three-day tryout period. He will instead rely primarily on individual drills to evaluate which rookies would be best suited for a team hoping to end a six-year playoff win drought. The coaching staff will teach two drills that directly apply to the Chargers’ scheme on offense or defense and special teams and three drills by position, then evaluate each prospect compared to his counterparts.

The system, which Harbaugh admitted he has never tried before, is intended to provide a fair way for rookies to compete while also letting the staff see each player’s pure talent.

It’s the coach’s way of “mining for gold,” he said.

“Picture a 90-minute meeting to go over offense and defense, and then go out on the field. Then we’re judging who learned the system better,” Harbaugh said. “But we’re not seeing the capabilities, what they have talent wise.”

The Chargers already know what they have with their nine draft picks, including seven who signed rookie contracts Friday. Even before officially signing their deals, first-round pick Omarion Hampton and second-rounder Tre’ Harris still participated in Friday’s three-hour session. The three-day work weekend is primarily a show for the team’s 18 undrafted free agents and 23 tryout players.

Harbaugh said he would keep a close eye on undrafted free agent running back Raheim Sanders, whose 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine equaled Hampton’s despite the 230-pound Sanders being 10 pounds heavier. Kansas receiver Luke Grimm and tight end Stevo Klotz also stood out to Harbaugh on tape.

While unheralded players fight for opportunities, even the drafted players realize the importance of making a good first impression.

“A lot of the D-line guys, we were competing against each other,” said defensive lineman Jamaree Caldwell, the Chargers’ third-round draft pick. “Not everybody gets a job at the end of the day. Nobody has secured a job, even me. That’s how I look at it.”

Caldwell, a 6-foot-1, 340-pound defensive tackle out of Oregon, worked individually with defensive line coach Mike Elston and assistant defensive line coach Will Tukuafu while the majority of the rookies were working on special teams drills. Nearby, outside linebacker Kyle Kennard honed his pass-rushing technique with defensive assistant Dylan Roney.

The transition to the NFL has already delivered several surreal moments for Kennard. The Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year heard his name called as a fourth-round pick, then soon got a text from Chargers star edge rusher Khalil Mack.

Mack, who Kennard praised as “one of the greatest to do it,” congratulated the 125th pick on his selection but advised Kennard to not celebrate for too long. The rookie listened.

“Khalil Mack told me not to celebrate, I’m going to stay in the house and go to sleep,” said Kennard, who met Mack briefly in the locker room Friday and shared a welcoming embrace.

The rookies who pass the three-day minicamp will join veterans during next week’s organized team activities. During the first portion of the voluntary workouts, the Chargers experimented on the offensive line with Zion Johnson at center. Harbaugh said the team has alternated between last year’s configuration that had Johnson at left guard next to center Bradley Bozeman and reversing the two offensive linemen to put Johnson at center for the first time in his NFL career. Bozeman hasn’t played guard in an NFL game since 2020.

Despite Johnson’s inexperience at the position, his technique is impeccable, Harbaugh gushed. The snaps are popping off his hand, and the 25-year-old is one of the team’s most athletic and intelligent offensive linemen.

The change comes at a critical time during Johnson’s career. The Chargers didn’t pick up the 2021 first-round pick’s fifth-year option, leaving him to potentially prove himself at a brand new position.

“He’s going to be starting at one of those two positions,” Harbaugh said. “It just adds versatility. … We’ll get our best five eventually, but I know he’s going to be one of them.”