Bucs wide receiver Ted Hurst, pictured Friday, owned the Bucs’ first rookie minicamp, drawing the most targets and making the most catches over two days of practice.
Ted Hurst owned the Bucs’ first rookie minicamp, drawing the most targets and making the most catches over two days of practice.
But the toughest thing facing the third-round pick may not be adjusting to the Florida heat. It’s the searing expectations that come with being asked to fill the cleats of Mike Evans, who signed with the 49ers as a free agent.
“(He has) great size, very good athlete, obviously,” coach Todd Bowles said. “He’s got to get used to the heat a little bit himself. Even though he’s from Georgia, he’s got to get used to the heat a little bit.
“You can see the athleticism and the size, and what you liked about him coming out from the draft. He’s just going to get better and better as he learns the system and gets more comfortable, but he looks good on the hoof and he moves very smoothly.”
Hurst, 21, has the kind of size (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) and speed (4.42 in the 40-yard dash) to be a true X receiver like Evans, who can stretch a defense both vertically and horizontally.
Hurst had nearly 2,000 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns over his final two seasons at Georgia State, where he transferred after spending two years at Valdosta State.
He said his brother, Darrell Myers Jr., is the reason he made it to the NFL. Myers played at Valdosta State and was a receiver on the Blazers’ 2018 Division II national championship team.
“My brother is kind of my backbone, my right-hand man,” Hurst said. “At the same time, he graduated college in chemistry. He’s a nerd. He played football for four years at Valdosta State. Got injured twice and he came back from those, and I know that can be pretty challenging mentally and physically. He won a championship in high school, he won a championship in college. He went to play arena ball and won a championship there.”
Myers provided more than an example for Hurst. He also helped him find a purpose.
“(He) is really hard on me about, ‘What’s my why?’” Hurst said. “When you get tired and fatigued, think about that why and the reason you’re out here. That should motivate you to go hard when you’re tired at times. My why is I have a niece. My older brother had a daughter, and he kind of paved the way for me in my profession and where I’m today. And I’ve got a younger brother, and I feel like he can use my name to open the door for him.”
Ted Hurst, shown in 2024, had nearly 2,000 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns over his final two seasons at Georgia State, where he transferred after spending two years at Valdosta State. [ STEW MILNE | AP, 2024 ]
What Hurst has going for him besides his obvious physical traits is that the Bucs have gotten plenty of production from rookie receivers.
Two years ago, Jalen McMillan produced 37 catches for 461 yards. Seven of his eight touchdown receptions came in the final five games, most in the NFL during that stretch. Last year, Emeka Egbuka burst onto the scene by leading the Bucs with 63 receptions for 938 yards and six touchdowns, five in the first five games.
Of course, both of those pale in comparison to Evans’ rookie season, when he caught 68 passes for 1,051 yards (15.5-yard average) and three touchdowns. But the Bucs had only Evans had Vincent Jackson to distribute the football to.
“We’re never going to replace Mike, but you do try to replace his size and speed, which Mike had,” Bucs assistant general manager Rob McCartney said. “I think Ted has that, too. So Ted, he’s a small school guy who started at Valdosta, transferred to Georgia State and played a couple years. He had opportunities to go to bigger schools with all the (name, image and likeness) stuff and stayed loyal to Georgia State, which is kind of refreshing in this day and age that guys choose to stay sometimes.
“You can look at it the other way and say he’s not choosing to play against the best competition and stuff like that. But then a guy like Ted goes to the Senior Bowl and then proves he can do that as well. So, he’s just kind of checked the boxes every step of the way. At the same time, he still has a lot to improve on. The route running. He’s just kind of a raw player, but he’s a big, fast, athletic guy that’s willing to learn, and we’re all excited.”
Hurst doesn’t lack for motivation or direction. He begins each day reading “One Minute with God,” a book of daily devotionals.
“God is a big part of my life, so I use that to start my day, and that’s confidence,” he said.
“I definitely feel like I’ve got something to prove. There’s a lot of doubters on my potential and where I can go in this profession. But I had that talk with myself, and it’s a little fuel to my fire.”
Ted Hurst runs a drill at the NFL scouting combine in February in Indianapolis. He has the size (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) and speed (4.42 in the 40-yard dash) to be a true X receiver in the mold of Mike Evans.
Evans had Jackson to help him learn how to become a pro, and both Egbuka and McMillan benefitted from Evans’ tutelage. Hurst can still lean on veteran Chris Godwin, who is entering his 10th NFL season.
“I’d just say, overall, I’ve got a pretty good feel for the game, but I think it’s just becoming a pro,” Hurst said. “How to go about things, the small things, like the resources outside. Your nutrition, the weight room, recovery — all those small things.
“I’m a true big-body X receiver, but I also can play anywhere on the field. And I’m dynamic. I’m a team player at the same time. If you’re asking me to do any role, play any position, I’m going to step in and do my part.”
Will Hurst ever become Evans? Not likely. Evans is the greatest offensive player in Tampa Bay history, tying Jerry Rice with 11 consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons until a hamstring injury and broken collarbone stopped that streak.
But because of his blend of size and speed, Hurst is going to take over that position opposite the tight end and make big plays downfield and in the red zone.
“We’re not expecting for him to just come in and just take over and be a big part of our offense,” McCartney said. “Now, that being said, there’s nothing that says he can’t if he comes in and proves himself, no matter what role he’s in. It’s going to be what he’s ready for and how he works and improves himself.
“But yes, he is a big guy that’s 6-4, 210 who runs in the 4.4s, so that’s intriguing to us. And again, the downfield stuff — he’s got really good ball skills, too. So not only can he get over the top and beat guys deep, but if it is congested, he has the ability to make those catches.
“He’s got a lot of traits we look for at his position,” McCartney continued, “which is what Mike played, and we’ll just see here.”
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