Hall of Famer Ronde Barber confirms Georgia State standout Ted Hurst is a versatile threat capable of filling the void left by Mike Evans in Tampa.
Even without the great Mike Evans, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking pretty good at receiver.
Emeka Egbuka was a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2025 after the Bucs took him with their first-round pick.
Tampa’s last pick of that year’s draft, Tez Johnson, proved to be great value, going for 322 yards and five touchdowns on 28 catches.
The Bucs also have a healthy Jalen McMillan, who missed almost all of last season, and Chris Godwin, a franchise great who is now the elder statesman in the receivers' room.
Then, there’s Ted Hurst.
The Bucs took Hurst in the third round of this year’s draft,and with good reason.
Playing at Georgia State, Hurst didn’t get the attention that other draft prospects at his position did. But at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, in February, Hurst showed that he could ball, validating his college production.
Over his two seasons at Georgia State, Hurst caught 15 touchdown passes and went for nearly 2,000 yards, averaging 15.5 yards per catch (15 yards is considered an explosive passing play by some standards).
Part of the reason losing Evans was such a big blow is that it will be hard for the Bucs to replicate his red zone production, and although it would be a lot to ask for Hurst to replicate what the greatest receiver in franchise history and potential future Hall of Famer accomplished, he could make up for at least part of it.
One Buc who is already in the Hall of Fame is a big believer.
"The smoke is real,” Ronde Barber said on the Ronde Barber Show produced by WFLA-TV this week. “There is fire underneath that smoke. He’s been impressive.”
Barber reported that Hurst is learning more than one position. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder projects mainly as an X receiver, where he would be split outside. But Hurst is also capable of playing the Z position (flanker) and his size could create mismatches in the slot.
Hurst is currently expected to be behind Egbuka, who ended last season with 938 yards and six touchdowns on 63 receptions. McMillan and Godwin are expected to occupy the other two starting spots.
New Bucs’ offensive coordinator Zac Robinson doesn’t often use four and five-receiver sets. He’s a Sean McVay disciple, which means he likes to use a lot of 11 (one running back, one tight end) and 12 (one running back, two tight ends) personnel. But the Bucs' talent and depth at receiver should allow Hurst to develop without too much pressure.
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