Ted Hurst Joins Long Line Of Jason Licht Receiver Success
April 25th, 2026
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Please stop reading if you think late-round draft picks should be superstars and every other third-rounder should land in the Pro Bowl.
The NFL doesn’t work that way.
Joe feels good about Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager drafted big, fast receiver Ted Hurst last night out of Georgia State in Round 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Why? Because Licht has a great history of drafting receivers.
The list is long:
Mike Evans — Hall of Famer. Brock Purdy–obsessed Super Bowl champ.
Robert Herron — Sixth-round returner prospect did make it.
Kenny Bell — Fifth-round bust.
Kaelin Clay — Sixth-round return Bucs gave up on too soon.
Chris Godwin — Ring of Honor Buccaneer and Super Bowl champ.
Justin Watson — Fifth-rounder (2018) has three Super Bowl rings. Now with Texans.
Scotty Miller — Key cog in Bucs’ Super Bowl run.
Tyler Johnson — Seven postseason catches for Tampa Bay.
Jaelon Darden — Fourth-round bust now works in the CFL.
Trey Palmer — Still only 25 years old. Caught 54 balls and a postseason TD in two Bucs seasons.
Jalen McMillan — Third-round pick (2024) on the rise.
Emeka Egbuka — Big rookie production last season.
Tez Johnson — Tremendous production for a seventh-round pick last season.
Joe could argue Licht has hit on eight of his last nine wide receiver picks and nine out of 13 overall. That’s a tremedous rate.
Whomever is the Bucs’ scouting guru at the position needs a lifetime job.
Is Hurst the next receiver “W” for the Tampa Bay scouting department? Joe wouldn’t bet a nickel against it.
April 25th, 2026 at 10:54 am
Good numbers on the wideouts but not so in other areas but if a GM can hit on half of his draft picks he is doing an amazing job. Licht is not why the Bucs failed last year, I attribute a lot of the problems to coaches/coordinators who were in over their head (Grizzard), incompetent (McGaughey) or so stubborn that they insisted on forcing a round peg into a square hole time and time again; enter Todd Bowles and his surrogates, who simply will not adapt schemes to their players’ strengths. This is why some Buc fans have their concerns about Trotter and the Bowles’ D.
April 25th, 2026 at 10:56 am
Oh brother.
So far we have one player who we lucked into. And then the brain trust try to show off with the unexpected.
At least these guys will produce the results we’ve come to expect from the best developer and motivator of talent in the universe.
April 25th, 2026 at 10:57 am
Yuuup and none of the busts came in round 1-3. He’ll be fine
April 25th, 2026 at 11:06 am
Agreed 3.28
I am skeptical of everything from Licht on down
They are all playing CYA and the Emperor has no clothes understanding that they are out of the benefit of the doubt and the dismal collapses of 2024 and 2025 are hanging over their heads.
Whistling past the graveyard, wishing and a hoping like a lifer on death row Dale Mabry
April 25th, 2026 at 11:09 am
I hadnt heard of him till they drafted him. I def like the pick. My opinion, i think we shouldve waited till the 4th or 5th to go WR, but thats just me. He will help in Evans absence. Tall and fast and reminds me of Evans the way he high points the ball.
April 25th, 2026 at 11:10 am
Hurst will be a star.
He’s the tallest and fastest WR on the team and he has great body control and athleticism.
He’s our X Receiver/Evans replacement
April 25th, 2026 at 11:15 am
We will probably get our usual 4-5 impact rookies from the UDFA pool
So we should have 12-13 rookies replacing some loafers from last season
April 25th, 2026 at 11:16 am
Charles Davis was talking about Ted Hurst before the draft
April 25th, 2026 at 11:26 am
3.28 with his 🤡 takes.
April 25th, 2026 at 11:40 am
Cause Todd can’t mess them up. Like all of the defensive picks that are no longer in the NFL or soon to be out of the league
April 25th, 2026 at 11:45 am
The Bucs had Evans, Godwin, Egbuka, McMillan and Johnson all in the lineup at the end of last season and still got very little production because the OLine was banged up and ineffective which resulted in Mayfield being banged up and ineffective.
Banking on “hoping” a starting Guard comes back from a serious knee injury is inviting disappointment.
April 25th, 2026 at 11:53 am
I look forward to seeing Tez Johnson next season, I think he has potential for good things
April 25th, 2026 at 11:54 am
I do like this WR a lot
Just concerned about remaining weaknesses on Defense
April 25th, 2026 at 11:55 am
AlanBuc has a good point, keep the line healthy and Baker will be better, he was all over the place last season
April 25th, 2026 at 11:57 am
Jason Licht is a below average GM and the Superbowl was because of Brady pick AB , Gronk and Fournett to go with Mike Evans and Godwin. And he demanded them to draft a LT and we all know it because Jamies whole time here the bucs never drafted a o lineman in the first round until Brady came.
April 25th, 2026 at 12:47 pm
Hurst is a great pick. Licht nailed the talent
This kid will be a great WR for us.
But picking aWr at this spot was crazy.
We need LBers and CBs DESPERATELY.
Our need at Guard (or Center) and DT is almost as desperate.
Wr is a need, but the team could win with the WRs we had.
We won’t win without Lbs and CB upgrades.
Drafting a WRis like adding air to a low tire, on a car with a broken axle.
April 25th, 2026 at 1:28 pm
I’m not sure any of this discussion matters while Todd Bowles is the head football coach. I must admit that I have begun to have doubts in my mind about his ability to lead this team to a championship.