Ted Hurst

Even with Evans gone, Hurst sits behind ascending sophomore Emeka Egbuka (now the Z) and slot man Chris Godwin, with Jalen McMillan directly contesting his three-wide snaps. Year 1 target share projects modest behind an established top two.

Hurst enters as the WR4 in Tampa behind Egbuka, Godwin, and McMillan, limiting his immediate target share and fantasy production in Year 1. Meaningful snaps are unlikely without injury or attrition above him.

Hurst played at Georgia State (Sun Belt), raising legitimate questions about how his game translates against NFL-caliber corners. Scouts have flagged press-coverage struggles as a specific developmental concern at the next level.

His noted difficulty against press technique could limit his route tree in an NFL offense and make it harder to separate early in his career while adjusting to speed-of-game.

Production hinges on Baker Mayfield and a new offensive coordinator's system; a scheme that spreads the ball by committee (as beat writers project) caps any single rookie's ceiling early.

Chris Godwin is on the downside of his career and the Buccaneers hold an off-ramp in his contract after 2026. A Godwin departure would vault Hurst into a prominent slot/secondary role heading into his sophomore season.

Mike Evans signed with San Francisco, and the new OC publicly calls Hurst 'a true X receiver' — the precise vacated position. This is a cleaner runway than the prior WR4-behind-Evans framing.

At 6-4/210 with a 4.42 40-yard dash and a 61.1% contested catch rate, Hurst has legitimate NFL starter measurables. He is a ball winner at the catch point who turns 50/50 situations into 60/40 advantages.

A 3rd-round investment (84th overall) from a team that just lost Mike Evans signals Tampa believes Hurst can grow into a featured role — he is not a camp body or practice squad dart throw.

Jalen McMillan is the primary competition for immediate WR3 snaps, but McMillan has yet to establish himself as a lock. Hurst's superior size and athleticism give him a realistic path to winning that battle.

Young WR (21) — still in value appreciation phase