Tampa Bay Buccaneers interested in versatile wide receiver Jalen Hurd
By Cory Kinnan
As the 2019 NFL Draft is now less than one week away, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are rumored to have interest in Baylor wide receiver Jalen Hurd.
After subtracting two wide receivers off of their roster from the 2018 season in Adam Humphries and Desean Jackson, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look to be in the market for depth at the position in the 2019 NFL Draft. JC Cornell of The Draft Network suggests the Buccaneers have “high interest” in Tennessee transfer running back turned Baylor wide receiver Jalen Hurd.
Even after adding former Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Breshad Perriman in free agency, Tampa Bay looks to remain interested in a talent who can make plays underneath of coverage. With the towering unit of O.J. Howard, Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Perriman take the top off of the defense, a converted running back such as Hurd could have plenty of space in the open field to make plays after the catch in the Buccaneers’ offense.
Head coach Bruce Arians loves to play tall receivers in the slot, as evidenced by utilizing Larry Fitzgerald inside the numbers while with the Arizona Cardinals, so the 6’4½ and 228 pound Hurd fits this mold. Hurd could provide some much-needed depth behind Godwin, who is expected to take over some slot responsibility in 2019, as well as carve out some playing time of his own in Tampa Bay.
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While Hurd was recovering from an injury and did not partake in any athletic testing at the combine last month, he did put up a whopping 23 reps on the bench press, just four behind combine standout wide receivers D.K. Metcalf and N’Keal Harry. He did, however, test as an elite athlete at his pro day, posting impressive numbers across the board.
Hurd’s 40 yard dash time remains a little disappointing at just 4.64 seconds, but his recovery from a knee injury could have factored into that time. He did hit 35.5 inches on his vertical jump and over 10 feet on his broad jump, showing his nature as an explosive athlete.
It appears Arians has his eye on a potential Humpries replacement who fits the bill of a big bodied slot. Could Hurd become Tampa Bay’s Fitzgerald under the guidance of Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich?
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Should the Buccaneers interest be genuine in Hurd, his services could be obtained for a day-three pick, costing nothing more than a fifth round pick. Realistically, Hurd could slip into the sixth or beyond as he continues to prepare himself to be ready for the 2019 season.