Entering Week 2, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to keep Ted Hurst III on the field. After a productive rookie debut against the Bengals, Hurst could be in for a big day against the Browns.
While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Week 1 performance did result in a loss, multiple young players on the team showed flashes, including wide receiver Ted Hurst III and linebacker Josiah Trotter.
Hurst, who the Bucs selected with the No. 94 overall pick in this past year's draft, hauled in all three of his targets for 36 yards.
His first career grab was special, keeping control of the ball through contact on the left sideline, and picking up a first down.
The announcer calling the game on FOX gave the catch a difficulty of "at least 9.5," while applauding the former Georgia State wideout for locking in on the ball and securing possession.
Coming into the offseason, Hurst's opportunities as a rookie were seen to be scarce, as the receiving room is already filled with talent like Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Tez Johnson, and Jalen McMillan.
“After we drafted him, I personally thought, okay, this is a great situation for him to be behind these guys and learn, may not make a big impact for us this year but, one for the future," General Manager Jason Licht said ahead of Week 1. "But I think he's proven to us throughout camp, even OTAs, practice every day that he's been very, very steady. And I think it's kind of evolved into okay, we can use him this year and he's going to play a role.”
Hurst's impressive showings throughout training camp and joint practices against other NFL teams warranted him an opportunity to contribute right away, playing the third-most snaps (30) of all Bucs receivers.
This was the goal for Hurst, who talked about wanting to get acclimated with the playbook as soon as possible following rookie minicamp.
"I've been diving into the playbook really hard," Hurst said. "You know, looking over it at night, you know, getting that install, you know, trying to perfect that, because that's a key aspect to you getting on the field and playing. I want to play early."
Entering Week 2, Hurst will have an opportunity to go up against a Cleveland Browns secondary that surrendered four passing touchdowns last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
With Baker Mayfield's added motivation of going against his former team, the offense will be looking to produce at a high level and likely take some shots against a weakened Cleveland backline.
For Hurst, his snap count will likely drop with the return of McMillan, but his impact in Week 1 has definitely warranted opportunities going forward.
