The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost Mike Evans this offseason, and while they still had a deep, talented wide receiver group, they lacked a true downfield threat.
Many teams would’ve been satisfied with a wide receiver group of Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., Jalen McMillan, and Tez Johnson.
The Buccaneers instead opted to take one of the roster’s strengths and bolster it even further.
Buccaneers take care of Baker Mayfield with Ted Hurst draft pick
Selecting Ted Hurst in the third round was a subtle tip of the cap to quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Tampa Bay is doing whatever it takes to build around their quarterback and provide him with an embarrassment of riches to utilize in the passing game.
Bucs new WR Ted Hurst:
— The Pewter Plank (@ThePewterPlank) April 25, 2026
🏴☠️ Led FBS with 34 catches of 20+ yards over the past two seasons
🏴☠️ 70.9% of receptions resulted in either a first down or touchdown
🏴☠️ Explosive downfield threat with 127 catches, 1,965 yards and 15 touchdowns over last 2 seasons
HOME RUN PICK! pic.twitter.com/oQcXnaQe6x
Hurst is one of the most dangerous playmakers in this entire draft class. He led the FBS with 34 catches of 20-plus yards over the past two seasons, and 70.9% of receptions resulted in either a first down or touchdown, per draft analyst Dane Brugler.
He’s an explosive downfield threat with 127 catches, 1,965 yards and 15 touchdowns over the past 2 seasons at Georgia State. He was heavily utilized on goal line fades and can potentially replace Mike Evans as Tampa Bay’s primary red zone threat.
After addressing their defensive needs in the first two rounds, the Bucs did right by Mayfield in landing him such a dynamic weapon. The Bucs still have a few needs to address, but they’ve knocked the first three rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft out of the park.