Buccaneers fans can’t ignore the growing Ted Hurst-Mike Evans comparisons

When Mike Evans left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason, he left behind a massive void at the X receiver position — a spot that Evans held down for 12 years. 

To address the need, Tampa Bay used its third-round draft pick on Ted Hurst out of Georgia State. At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, Hurst’s frame fits the bill of a prototypical X receiver. 

He’s an explosive weapon with a knack for generating first downs and touchdowns. His body control and ability to come down with contested catches have already drawn some lofty comparisons to the franchise legend he’s tasked with replacing. As training camp ramps up and Hurst continues to make plays, the comparisons between him and Evans are becoming impossible to ignore. 

Ted Hurst-Mike Evans comparisons have Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans talking

Hurst made the play of the day during Sunday’s training camp practice with a contested catch downfield for a big gain while Josh Hayes was in coverage. 

He later went on to come down with a touchdown catch on a fade route with Jacob Parrish in coverage. 

Pewter Report’s Adam Slivon listed Hurst as one of the standouts from practice, and even threw out a Hall of Fame comparison:  

“Squint just hard enough, and that No. 17 Ted Hurst wears begins to look more like the No. 13 that legendary WR Mike Evans wore throughout his storied Bucs career.”

Parrish, who is competing for the outside cornerback job and gave up the red zone touchdown to Hurst, made a similar observation. While Parrish acknowledged that the rookie still has a long way to go, he sees some of Evans in Hurst due to their similar size, length, and wide catch radius. 

Head coach Todd Bowles has also been impressed with Hurst — particularly his jump-ball ability, a trait that has made Evans such a dangerous weapon throughout his career. 

“Well, he can go up and get the ball. You see it on his college tape as well,” Bowles said.

There’s only one Mike Evans, but the fact that Hurst has already shown flashes of being such a playmaker as a rookie is certainly encouraging.  

The team won’t need to count on Hurst as a day one contributor, thanks to a deep group of returning pass-catchers in Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, and Tez Johnson. 

The rookie will have plenty of time to develop, hone his skill set, and learn how to leverage his rare size and athleticism into dominance at the NFL level. 

Despite being a third-round pick, Hurst has all the makings of a future WR1, and if he has even half the success Evans has had during his Bucs career, it would be a grand slam for Tampa Bay.

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