On Saturday, multiple Syracuse players were picked in the 2025 NFL draft after a historic season for the program.
It’s the first time the Orange has had three players selected in the NFL draft since 2013, and the first time since 2006 that Syracuse has had four players selected.
Tight end Oronde Gadsden was the first player to get selected, drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 165 overall pick in the fifth round. Gadsden’s contract will likely be worth around $4.5 million over four years.
Wth Syracuse, Gadsden had two 900-yard seasons at Syracuse. He spent one at wide receiver and the other at tight end, combining for 13 touchdowns in those two seasons while earning third-team All-American honors this year.
Gadsden is the first offensive skill player drafted out of Syracuse since the Orange joined the ACC in 2013, and it comes after a rebound season for the tight end following a season-ending foot injury during his junior season that cut his season short after only two games.
On the Chargers, Gadsen will compete against Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin for snaps and targets from quarterback Justin Herbert. He becomes the second Gadsden to play in the NFL after his father played six seasons with the Miami Dolphins and won a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys.
Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord was the next player drafted for the Orange, falling to the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 181 pick in the sixth round. McCord will likely be on a similar contract to Gadsden, around the 4-year, $4.5 million range.
McCord, who attended St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, is the first Syracuse quarterback drafted since Ryan Nassib was taken by the New York Giants in the fourth round in 2013, and is the second time the Eagles have selected a Syracuse quarterback after Philadelphia drafted Donovan McNabb No. 2 overall in 1999.
In his lone season with Syracuse, McCord broke the school’s and ACC’s record for single-season passing yards with 4,779, adding 34 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions. McCord’s play helped the Orange earn its first 10-win season since 2018 and a win in the Holiday Bowl.
On the Eagles, McCord will compete to be the backup behind Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts with Tanner McKee and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and will be the second active Syracuse quarterback in the NFL alongside Tommy DeVito from the New York Giants.
Running back LeQuint Allen was the third Syracuse player to get drafted, scooped up by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 236 pick late in the seventh round. At Allen’s draft slot, he’ll likely make a little under $4 million throughout his 4 year contract if he makes the roster.
Allen, the fifth running back drafted out of the ACC, was one of two running backs in Division I FBS to rush for at least 1,000 yards and rack up 500 yards as a pass-catcher alongside Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo. Skattebo was drafted by the Giants No. 105 overall in the fourth round.
On the Jaguars, Allen will face an uphill battle to make the roster, as he’ll have to compete with returners Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby, along with fellow draftee Bhayshul Tuten from Virginia Tech.
Fadil Diggs, the fourth and final Syracuse player to get drafted, was selected by the New Orleans Saints with the No. 254 pick, one of the last players in the seventh round. Diggs, similar to Allen, will make under $4 million over his four-year contract if he makes the roster.
In his lone season with Syracuse, Diggs racked up 45 total tackles, with 14 for a loss. He also led the team in sacks while being counted as a captain and anchor of the team’s defense.
On the Saints, Diggs will also face an uphill battle to make the roster, but if he does, he’ll look to help turn around a New Orleans team in rebuild mode after a 5-12 season last year.
It would have been nice to see all of Syracuse’s top players get drafted, but there will likely be more Orange players on NFL teams after they sign as undrafted free agents. Regardless of how many other Syracuse players sign as undrafted free agents, the school’s heavy involvement in the draft this year reflects the success that head coach Fran Brown hopes to achieve with Syracuse moving forward.
