The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have struck gold with third-round draft pick Ted Hurst III, who looks like a difference maker and has drawn comparisons to Mike Evans in his rookie camp.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers participated in their first joint practice sessions of the offseason, facing off against the New York Jets in heated, scuffle-filled scrimmages.
Amidst the back-and-forth with the teams, multiple rookies turnt heads, with Rueben Bain Jr. and Ted Hurst III making impressive plays on each side of the ball.
Hurst, who Tampa selected with the No. 84 overall pick in this past year's draft, has really come on over the past week, making multiple high-level catches and looking the part of a dangerous deep threat.
Against New York, he continued to show out, converting on opportunities during 11-on-11.
"Ted Hurst III had a great day on Wednesday and was targeted a bunch. He only had one drop, but made several catches – mostly on the slant passes – that moved the chains for Tampa Bay’s offense," Pewter Report noted. "Hurst was a huge reason why the Bucs were able to move the football near the end of practice with Jalen McMillan and Emeka Egbuka unavailable."
Egbuka, who suffered a toe injury on Wednesday, was able to exit practice on his own accord and was sidelined for the remainder of the day, thrusting Hurst into a larger role.
But, this is nothing new for the former Georgia State standout, who saw lots of double coverage and shading in college.
Entering the draft, Hurst was one of the most intriguing mid-major prospects in the class, recording 127 receptions for 1,965 yards and 15 touchdowns over his last two seasons with the Panthers.
In our Buccaneers draft profile on Hurst, Roundtable's Jeremy Ballreich outlined what makes Hurst so effective.
"Patient off the line, deceptive in his pacing, and sharp at the top of his stems,” Ballreich wrote. “He understands how to manipulate leverage, set up defenders, and create separation without wasted motion. His footwork is crisp, and he consistently wins with timing and precision."
Hurst has a great combination of size and speed, meshing a 6-foot-4, 206-pound frame with 4.42-40 time.
The First-Team All-Sun Belt performer began his career at Valdosta State, where he was in and out of the starting lineup. However, he made the most of his two seasons at the Division I level, and now steps into a fortunate situation with Tampa Bay.
While replacing the production and leadership of franchise legend Mike Evans is not yet plausible for Hurst, he has drawn comparisons to the Bucs' all-time leading receiver because of his size and sure hands.
Earlier this week, Pewter Report referred to Hurst's plays and catch radius as "Mike-like," as he looks like a dangerous red zone threat, similar to what Evans was for over a decade.
For starting quarterback Baker Mayfield, having Hurst as a fourth or fifth wide receiver on the depth chart speaks to the talent he will be throwing to in a crucial contract season.
Expect Hurst to be utilized in goalline fade opportunities, where he can use his size and leaping ability to high point balls in the endzone.
