Hurst has gone from a quality depth piece to a potential starter for the Buccaneers. That's been helped by an early August knee injury to Jalen McMillan. Asking Hurst, who was playing college football at Georgia State last fall, to leapfrog Egbuka or Godwin is mission impossible, but as long as McMillan is sidelined then Hurst could have an opportunity to lock down the No. 3 WR role as the X receiver in the Bucs passing game. Hurst is an early-declare wide receiver with prototypical NFL size and athleticism. He dominated work at Georgia State (32.9% receiving share) and has earned compliments from both quarterback Baker Mayfield and coach Todd Bowles for his rangy size, body control, quality speed and very good hands. As late-round dart throws go, Hurst is worthy in PPR leagues for however long McMillan is out. In rookie drafts, he should not be drafted before the start of Round 2.
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Buccaneers' Ted Hurst: No catches in preseason start
Rotowire
Hurst failed to bring in his only target in the Buccaneers' 16-15 preseason win over the Chiefs on Saturday.
The rookie wideout once again drew the start due to the plethora of injuries at the wide receiver position for the Buccaneers. However, unlike his two-catch pro debut against the Jets, Hurst was unable to crack the stat sheet Saturday. Assuming all of Emeka Egbuka (toe), Jalen McMillan (knee) and Tez Johnson (groin) are available for a Week 1 road matchup against the Bengals, Hurst won't be guaranteed active status on gameday; however, any absences on the part of the trio would change the equation.
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Buccaneers' Ted Hurst: Two grabs in starting role
Rotowire
Hurst brought in two of six targets for 19 yards in the Buccaneers' 24-16 preseason win over the Jets on Friday.
With Emeka Egbuka (toe), Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan (knee) all sitting out, Hurst worked as the Buccaneers' de facto No. 1 receiver on the night. The rookie third-round pick recorded his first catch for a seven-yard gain on the Buccaneers' second drive, and he added a 12-yard grab on Tampa Bay's third possession. Hurst was also targeted by Connor Bazelak on a goal-line slant on the final ball thrown his way, but the pass was a bit behind him and broken up. Hurst enters his rookie season with elevated expectations after an impressive two-year tenure at the D1 level, and both Godwin and McMillan's recent injury history suggests Hurst could see plenty of opportunity in his first NFL season.
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Buccaneers' Ted Hurst: Picked by Tampa Bay
Rotowire
The Buccaneers selected Hurst in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 84th overall.
Hurst probably fell this far out of plain-old bias against small-school players, and if so the Buccaneers should consider themselves lucky that the Georgia State star fell to them in the third round. He's big at 6-foot-4, 206 pounds and has the long-range speed (4.42-second 40) to thrive as a downfield-oriented 'X' receiver. The Buccaneers lost Mike Evans this offseason, but Hurst really does pose a similar dynamic, comparing more closely yet to Nico Collins.
