The Buccaneers’ receiver room looks different now that Mike Evans is gone, and that change has opened a door for a rookie who could force his way into the mix.
Tampa Bay has already locked up Vita Vea and Baker Mayfield on long-term deals, but the wideout group is the part of the roster that has taken on a new shape. Emeka Egbuka is projected to be the top option with veteran Chris Godwin, while Jalen McMillan is currently slotted in as the third receiver. That setup, though, could be challenged by rookie Ted Hurst III.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler sees breakout potential for Hurst, but only if one part of his game sharpens up. The hurdle is route-running.
"Rookie Buccaneers receiver Ted Hurst III will be hard to keep off the field if he can refine his route running," Fowler writes.
That kind of improvement is no small task, but it’s also the clearest path for Hurst to become a meaningful piece of Tampa Bay’s offense this season.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound receiver out of Georgia State brings some real production with him. Last season, he caught 71 passes for 1,004 yards and six touchdowns. The year before that, he posted 56 receptions for 961 yards and nine touchdowns.
Tampa Bay used a third-round pick on Hurst, which says plenty about how the team views him. The bigger question now is how quickly he can earn snaps.
Fowler’s read is straightforward: if the 22-year-old can clean up his route-running, he has a chance to break out and become a key contributor.
With Evans no longer in the picture, Hurst’s size gives him a useful profile in this offense. He still looks raw, though, and that may keep him from hitting the ground running immediately.
A Week 1 takeover would be a surprise. But by the end of the season, Hurst being involved in a big way would not be hard to imagine.
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