Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht has acknowledged that he underestimated rookie wide receiver Ted Hurst, who was selected in the third round of the NFL Draft. Hurst's draft class included notable players like Rueben Bain Jr. and Josiah Trotter, which may have contributed to him being overlooked despite his impressive speed and size.
The Buccaneers were thrilled to draft Bain at 15th overall, turning down a significant trade offer to secure him. They also selected Trotter in the second round, who has generated excitement during training camp and is expected to be a key player on the defense.
With these two high-profile picks, Hurst's selection did not attract much attention initially, especially given the Buccaneers' already deep receiving corps.
Despite losing Mike Evans to free agency, Tampa Bay still has talented receivers including Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., Jalen McMillan, and Tez Johnson. This depth led to the assumption that Hurst would be a project for the future rather than an immediate contributor.
However, Hurst's consistent improvement during the offseason has prompted Licht to reconsider his initial assessment. Licht now believes that Hurst will have a more significant role this season than originally expected.
