Fans Have Reason To Dream Of Ted Hurst
June 17th, 2026
Flashed this morning.
Joe thinks the Bucs are bringing along rookie wide receiver Ted Hurst perfectly.
Hurst, a third-round pick, comes by way of Georgia State in the Fun Belt. Georgia State isn’t much of a program. They’ve had one winning season since 2018. And that’s despite playing in Atlanta in the heart of football country.
An average Atlanta-based coach ought to be able to roll out of bed and land a halfway decent player. So Joe understands if some fans might be hesitant or skeptical to climb on the Hurst bandwagon right away.
Hurst is 6-4, runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and has a wingspan of six-feet, eight inches. Physically, he is a rare project.
The Bucs just lost a 6-4 receiver in free agency, the best receiver in franchise history and a sure-fire Hall of Fame member someday, Mike Evans.
So Joe could also understand why folks might easily see Hurst being Mike Evans II. And that may be one reason why the Bucs are bringing him along carefully.
Playing in the Fun Belt isn’t quite the Big Ten or the SEC. And the competition level sure as hell isn’t NFL. Maybe NFL practice squad level at best. Hurst and the Bucs are lucky. The Bucs have a loaded wide receiver room. Their starting receivers are already set.
In the underwear football practices Joe has seen that have been open to the media (Joe hadn’t missed one), Joe’s only seen Hurst goof up once. He doesn’t get a lot of passes sent his way but he catches just about everything. He’s not making impact splash plays like Emeka Egbuka did last year when he was a rookie, practicing above the rim. (About half the spring practices — OTAs — are closed to media. So only the Bucs know, for sure.)
Baker Mayfield lobbed praise Hurst’s way this week when he said Hurst has “exceptional hands.” Egbuka today added Hurst is “lightning in a bottle.”
Joe has seen Hurst be solid. But today, he flashed spectacular.
Hurst flew down the right sideline early in practice with a defender in good position. Jake Browning lofted the ball deep. It came in looking like it might be broken up, or worse, picked. And then Hurst rose up. Literally.
Joe doesn’t want to type Hurst “Moss’ed” the defender. Nope. He Evans’ed him. Hurst looked just like Evans skying high and cherry-picking the ball off the tree, snatched from the defender.
There was one slight problem. The ball sailed too far to the right and Hurst landed out of bounds. But damn, what a physical play.
Fortunately, the Bucs don’t need Hurst on the field. So Hurst really doesn’t have any pressure to start. No rush or remote panic to get Hurst ready. The Bucs can bring him along at his own pace.
KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles predicted Hurst would help the Bucs “immediately.” Joe will be more conservative. Hurst certainly will help but Joe is thinking later in the season.
While it is unfair and irresponsible to compare Hurst to Evans, especially on one play in underwear football, Hurst gave Joe a flashback to a young Evans.
The pads haven’t come on yet but the early report card for Hurst is very promising.
Ted Hurst in a receiver drill. pic.twitter.com/qkTrt9BKaU
— JoeBucsFan (@JoeBucsFan) June 16, 2026
June 17th, 2026 at 8:17 pm
I always thought he had the talent. I liked him at Georgia St.
June 17th, 2026 at 8:33 pm
One winning season since 2018. He’s a Bowles specialty.
Can you get to the pro bowl with the most dropped passes?
June 17th, 2026 at 8:42 pm
Our WR room is filled with guys who have good hands, who track the ball well
A couple (3?) have serious jumping ability
Hopefully Zac is going to scheme his passing guys to get/keep everybody involved
Baker said it yesterday, with the system and the talent somebody should be open every play – he just needs to go thru his progressions til he finds that guy… Love what Baker said about Whitmer (new QB coach) harping on footwork and coaching him hard too 👍🏼
June 17th, 2026 at 8:52 pm
I wonder if B-Mac, when coaching receivers at Georgia, was aware of Ted Hurst at Georgia State? I bet there was some inside knowledge coming to Licht from B-Mac.
Joe sounds very excited about Hurst – is Kay Adams pouting with jealousy while reading Joe’s take?
June 17th, 2026 at 9:09 pm
Bowles doesn’t have the luxury of time. He’s going to have to whip the horses.
June 17th, 2026 at 9:23 pm
Teddy Touchdown
June 17th, 2026 at 9:35 pm
Safe to say Mike knew in the back of his mind that the WR position will be just fine with the trio of young gunz we have and knows there’s only one ball so I think he did what was best for him and his former teammates at the same time by letting them growing together and getting their reps well he still pats his stats and secures his ticket into the Hall of Fame so everybody can eat.
June 17th, 2026 at 9:44 pm
Hahaha yeah Mike left because the WR room is crowded. It had nothing to do with the patented Bowles Collapse, which happens. Every. Year.
3rd and 28
4th and 14
2-7
8-9 after 6-2
Baker swan dive onto pavement
June 17th, 2026 at 9:57 pm
3.28.Evans Says:
June 17th, 2026 at 9:44 pm
Hahaha yeah Mike left because the WR room is crowded. It had nothing to do with the patented Bowles Collapse, which happens. Every. Year.
3rd and 28
4th and 14
2-7
8-9 after 6-2
Baker swan dive onto pavement
You’re basically the football version of a guy still telling the same joke because he doesn’t know any others.
June 17th, 2026 at 10:23 pm
“Tuddy Teddy”
June 17th, 2026 at 10:41 pm
If I’m not mistaken, Egbuka, because he was a #1 pick, was being thrown to by Baker a ton last year in camp. I’m not sure I have seen Hurst’s name being thrown to by Baker. It’s all passes by the Bucs 2nd, 3rd or 4th string QB.
Maybe it doesn’t matter, but perhaps that is why Egbuka was far more hyped and making “splash plays” last year in camp.
June 17th, 2026 at 10:56 pm
TiredLegs had the finish to the season that really encourages. Key drops, confused about his routes. Brilliant stuff.
June 17th, 2026 at 11:17 pm
EE is going to be a real player this fall if the line allows us to run and baker stays healthy.
Too much hype with Hurst tho.
However, the great thing is JL always finds these guys in the middle rounds. No reason to think he can’t be TJ Higgins. And if that’s the case we got a real player.
No thanks on the Evan’s comparison. Dude was as big of a freak as moss IMO. Moss had more speed and finesse but Evans had more raw power, route running ability and passion. JMO.
June 17th, 2026 at 11:29 pm
Good news Joe as I’m one of the fans actually worried about the WR corps.
I know I’m in the minority… I don’t care.
June 17th, 2026 at 11:33 pm
1987,
You’re DEF not alone my man.
The last two seasons this team has had injuries all around the wr corps. The way Godwin plays physically lends itself to injuries and Jmac hasn’t played in 65% of his games going back to his last year at Washington. The injuries will happen again this season.
Thankfully Jason saw fit to invest again into the position early.
June 17th, 2026 at 11:41 pm
I’m sorry. What I meant was only played in 60% of his games.
June 18th, 2026 at 12:03 am
Don’t worry at all about the WR corps. They’re **MASSIVELY** talented. The only thing worrying is which to draft in fantasy football. Im honestly not sure if Egbuka or Godwin put up better numbers. Probably both do great.
June 18th, 2026 at 12:04 am
Hurst could’ve transferred to a big school if he wanted to and been a 1st or 2nd-round pick, so he had plenty of talent and skill.
He will be our primary X Receiver.
June 18th, 2026 at 12:53 am
Evans is 6’5″ – not 6’4″ as stated.
Hopefully the streak of 3rd rd successes continues with Ted Hurst. Early reports are somewhat promising…..
Jason Licht is like the king of drafting in the 3rd round. Seriously!
The average bust rate for 3rd round selections is in the 60% range. Meaning the average NFL GM ‘hits’ on their 3rd round picks about 40% of the time.
Yet Jason Licht has only missed ONCE in the previous 9 years with his 3rd round draft picks…
2017 – Chris Godwin
2018 – Alex Cappa
2019 – Jamel Dean, Mike Edwards
2020 – Ke’Shawn Vaughn (there’s the miss)
2021 – Robert Hainsey
2022 – Rachaad White
2023 – YaYa Diaby
2024 – Tykee Smith, Jalen McMillan
2025 – Jacob Parrish
Quibble all you want about Edwards and Hainsey – but Edwards has 2 Super Bowl rings and is still earning an NFL paycheck 8 years later- Hainsey started 2 years at center for the Bucs and now coming into his 6th year starts at center for the 13-4 Jaguars – so those were definite ‘hits’ – even if they don’t play fpr the Bucs anymore. Same goes for White – he was a starter/valuable 1b RB here for 4 years.
But just look at that list again…. Especially the last 3 years…
I’m SO glad he didn’t THIS year – but considering how well he’s done in rd 3 for the last DECADE – Licht should really consider trading back a few spots in the 1st round EVERY year just to pick up an extra 3rd rd pick – which in Jason’s hands basically becomes an extra 1st or 2nd rd talent added to the roster each year….
June 18th, 2026 at 1:25 am
He’s not Evans.
Stop comparing him to Evans.
Ask Johnny Football, Winston, TB12, Baker.
He gave them career years.
Ask the stat nerds and all the HOF WR that sit below Evans.
Evans had a resume as a rookie. He made a Heisman.
What’s his name is just a tall, athletic WR.
Yawn … Dime a dozen … won’t even start
Don’t compare that to Elite.
June 18th, 2026 at 7:15 am
Mike has an understanding of what he can get away with. He pushes off a lot IMHO. That is something Hurst will take yrs to develop. Luckily he’s young and fast now. But, assuming he makes an impact he will need to develop the understanding Mike and other big body receivers do regarding the limits of using his body against physical defenders.
June 18th, 2026 at 12:19 pm
I won’t pretend to be a scout, but on the film I’ve seen I was very impressed with Hurst’s route-running, especially his get-off from the line of scrimmage.
Of course, it was against guys who are now in job interviews for junior accounting jobs, but still…
June 18th, 2026 at 1:09 pm
I think the Bucs need Hurst from the start, specially if they fail to lean into the run game. But, if the Bucs can succeed running the ball, it is going to create some huge opportunities for all of the receivers.
June 18th, 2026 at 4:29 pm
I do not get the negativity. Go get a life. This kid has potential, and he has an OC who knows how to use his skill sets. I’m looking for him to get a bit of playing time this season and get better as it goes. Next year will be his breakout if Zac is still here. Not everyone gets or wants a D1 scholarship to Big or SEC. Let’s see what he can develop into with professional coaching before we cry about dropping passes.
June 18th, 2026 at 10:55 pm
Bucs ought to play the heck outta Hurst in the preseason. Bench the starters please.
June 19th, 2026 at 12:42 am
Interesting. He slightly faster than Mike Evans. Same height. I wonder what Evan’s wingspan was.