Ted Hurst is wasting no time making his presence felt in Tampa Bay.
The Buccaneers used a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on the rookie wide receiver, and early in training camp he’s already turning heads with the kind of contested-catch ability and catch radius that has sparked comparisons to former Buccaneers star Mike Evans.
That buzz only grew after Hurst put together a strong pair of joint practices against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Baker Mayfield saw it up close, and the veteran quarterback liked what he saw.
Hurst was the lone bright spot in an otherwise rough practice on Tuesday. Tampa Bay reached the end zone just once, and the score came on a touchdown pass to the rookie.
He backed it up on Wednesday, again finding the end zone and again getting the better of Jaguars No. 1 cornerback Travis Hunter on multiple snaps.
Mayfield said Hurst is starting to put the pieces together.
“You can see it clicking, just the motions and everything that we’re trying to get done. When he has a one on one matchup, he knows the ball is probably coming his way… He’s making a lot of plays,” Mayfield said.
That kind of early trust matters, especially for a rookie trying to carve out a role right away.
Hurst arrived in Tampa Bay with a reputation for stretching the field and producing explosive plays in college. Over his last two seasons, he led the FBS with 34 catches of 20-plus yards. He also turned 70.9% of his receptions into either a first down or a touchdown, finishing those two seasons with 127 catches, 1,965 yards and 15 touchdowns.
The Buccaneers are counting on that downfield punch. Their receiver room already includes Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr. and Jalen McMillan, but Hurst brings a different kind of threat - one that can matter both deep downfield and in the red zone.
At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he looks like the best fit to handle the X receiver role and help replace what Mike Evans left behind. There’s only one Evans, but Tampa Bay clearly believes Hurst has the frame and the skill set to grow into something big.
For now, the rookie is working to get comfortable in the system and keep building chemistry with Mayfield. If these first days are any indication, he’s already on the right track.
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Buccaneers Pass Rush Plan Just Hit A Worrying Rueben Bain Snag
Rueben Bain Jr. had been one of the most intriguing pieces of Tampa Bays pass-rush puzzle before a joint practice against the Jaguars brought a brief scare. The Buccaneers first-round pick suffered an AC sprain during the session, and while the injury is not considered serious, it was enough to keep him out of practice the following day as the team shifts its attention toward recovery.
Bain is still expected to be ready for Week 1 against the Bengals, which keeps the bigger picture intact for Tampa Bay. Even so, any missed time is worth noting for a rookie trying to settle in, learn the speed of the defense and carve out a role in a pass-rush rotation that figures to matter a lot once the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Fans Have A New Rueben Bain Jr. Concern Before Week 1
A late-summer scare around Reuben Bain Jr. briefly tightened the mood at Buccaneers camp after the first-round pick suffered an AC sprain during a joint practice. The injury is being described as minor, and all signs still point to Bain being ready for Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, which is the bigger picture Tampa Bay cares about as the opener approaches.
Bain did not take part in the second joint practice, and there is a chance he sits out the preseason finale as well, giving the Bucs a little more time to handle his workload carefully. Tampa Bay has not offered an official medical update beyond the expectation that he will be available for the season opener, and in the meantime the team at least has Al-Quadin Muhammad available if it wants to keep the rookie protected a bit longer. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Fans Have Every Reason To Enjoy Atlantas QB Mess
The quarterback picture in Atlanta has become a welcome subplot for anyone tracking the NFC South, and Tampa Bay fans have every reason to keep an eye on it. Tua Tagovailoa landed with the Falcons after his release from Miami, but his early stretch at training camp has been uneven enough to leave the depth chart unsettled and the conversation around the position growing louder.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski still has not named him the starter, which only adds to the uncertainty around how the Falcons will handle the spot moving forward. For the Buccaneers, the appeal is obvious: the more Atlanta wobbles at quarterback, the better the path looks in a division that could be shaped by stability under center as much as anything else. [Read more 🡒]