After using their first two picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on defense, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first offensive selection was a wide receiver with an impressive blend of size and speed. The Buccaneers were in no way trying to find a direct replacement for future Hall of Famer Mike Evans, who departed in free agency in March, but they did covet that sort of profile for what is already a strong receiver room.
The pick, accordingly, was Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst, taken 84th overall in the third round after a small trade down netted an extra fifth-round pick. The 6-4, 210-pound Hurst ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and is coming off a 1,004-yard season for the Panthers.
"With Mike, of course, you're losing a Hall of Fame player, but you're also losing a lot of size and speed, and this guy has those things," said Vice President of Player Personnel Mike Biehl. "He's a small-school guy who had opportunities to go to bigger schools with the NIL stuff and chose to stay at Georgia State and be loyal to them, and he had a really good season. Then he goes down to the Senior Bowl and goes against the best down there and stands out in that arena, too."
Hurst joins a receiving room that remains loaded after Evans' departure to the San Francisco 49ers. Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson highlight a group that ranks among the deepest in the NFL, but the Bucs have not been shy in recent seasons about adding to the position, in some respect with an eye to the future. The Bucs used a third-round pick on McMillan in 2024 and a first-rounder on Egbuka last season and both have been very productive early in their careers. Hurst only adds to the ways the Bucs can attack opposing defenses in the passing game.
"It's the skill-set that we're talking about," said Biehl. We're super-excited about that room, and Emeka last year was huge. As a staff, you want to win now but you're always kind of looking ahead too. We knew that Mike wasn't going to play forever and Chris has been here a long time. There's times when you start looking at position groups and that's one of the reasons we took Emeka last year, as well he was just the best player.
"When you lose somebody like Mike with that size and that speed, we're always going to look to upgrade that position. Different wide receiver positions require different skill sets, and Mike always played that 'X' receiver for us on the outside, and that's kind of what we anticipate Ted being able to do. Again, we're not expecting him to come in and play a ton right away, but we're expecting him to come in and contribute and get better and eventually maybe we'll have something there we can work with."
Hurst is one of just four FBS receivers who recorded at least 950 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons. He caught 56 passes for 961 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024, averaging 17.2 yards per grab. Hurst followed that up last year with 71 receptions for 1,004 yards and six more scores. Overall, he scored 25 touchdowns in four collegiate seasons – the first two at Valdosta State – and averaged 16.0 yards per catch. The Buccaneers believe he's capable of even more at the next level, particularly after receiving NFL coaching.
"He's still a work in progress," said Biehl. "The kid's got a ton of upside – big, athletic, fast, good hands. He's somebody that we're really excited about, not only the personnel people but the coaches when they got involved in the process, too. They were big fans of Ted, as well. That's what's intriguing about him. He was productive doing what he was doing but he can be so much better as a route-runner and he has the tools to do that. With [Wide Receivers] Coach [Bryan] McClendon, he's going to get better.
"I would anticipate him at least having a role on special teams and fitting into the rotation somehow. Again, when you've got that size and that speed, I can imagine our coaches could get creative and come up with some packages for him to play in. That's the baseline, and then you see where it goes from there."
View images of Georgia State University WR Ted Hurst, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Third-Round Draft Pick
Georgia State's Ted Hurst (16) runs a route during the first half of an NCAA football game against Old Dominionon Saturday, Oct.12 , 2024 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst (1) plays against Vanderbilt during an NCAA football game on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
American Team wide receiver Ted Hurst (7), of Georgia State, runs through drills during practice for the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst (24) participates in the vertical jump at the NFL football scouting combine, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Indianapolis. (Gregory Payan/AP Content Services for NFL)
Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst (24) runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst (24) runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst (24) runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
