Buccaneers GM Jason Licht said the team initially viewed WR Ted Hurst as a long-term investment, but that a strong offseason has him headed for a role this year.
What They're Saying
Licht on Hurst: “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. 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.”
2026 Fantasy Football Impact
We'd still expect Hurst to be Tampa Bay's No. 4 WR when the corps is healthy. But Emeka Egbuka (toe) and Jalen McMillan (knee) have already missed time this summer. Chris Godwin has been healthy so far, but he's 30 with an extensive injury history.
If Hurst finds significant playing time, he has the production and athletic profile to capitalize. He totaled 1,965 yards and 15 TDs over his final two college seasons at Georgia State and earned a 99th percentile Relative Athletic Score at 6'4 and 206 pounds.
The rookie might be worth stashing in deep redraft leagues and is worth monitoring in all leagues.
