The Bucs were on the clock in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft at pick No. 77… until they weren’t. Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht swung a trade, sending pick No. 77 to Green Bay. In the process, the Bucs moved down to No. 84 and picked up another fifth-round selection, which is pick No. 160.

And with the No. 77 selection, Tampa Bay went with Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst, a Senior Bowl star and “Freaks List” alum.

Hurst is a 6-foot-4, 206-pound 21-year-old who is a true “X” receiver with the flexibility to play the “Z” position as well. His ability to high point the ball immediately stands out as a major strength, as does his elite speed. He ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he was the only wide receiver who was reported to have a formal meeting with the Bucs. Tampa Bay was obviously interested in him, which is why he was Pewter Report’s Bucs Best Bet at wide receiver for rounds 1-3.

He has good footwork at the top of his routes and tracks the ball well deep down the field. But he’s not just a guy who is going to eat on fly routes, as he made plenty of his money on slant routes during his collegiate career, too.

Now, the hangup with Hurst will be the fact that he’ll face a big adjustment at the next level after splitting his college career between Valdosta State and Georgia State. There’s not a lot of play strength in his game, so he’ll face some growing pains as he adjusts to press coverage in the NFL.

Still, there’s no denying the level of production he was able to put together over the last four years. He caught 22 passes for 431 yards (19.6 avg.) and six touchdowns in 11 games (six starts) as a freshman at Valdosta State in 2022. As a sophomore, he played in and started 14 games, catching 38 passes for 596 yards (15.7 avg.) and four touchdowns.

After transferring to Georgia State in 2024, he earned Second Team All-Sun Belt honors after hauling in 56 passes for 961 yards (17.2 avg.) and nine touchdowns. Then, to finish off his career, he posted 71 receptions for 1,004 yards (14.1 avg.) and six touchdowns.

Georgia State WR Ted Hurst – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Vasha Hunt

After a First Team All-Sun Belt selection in 2025, Hurst was invited to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, where he shined as one of the week’s biggest winners.

As a third-round pick, Hurst is the highest-drafted player in Georgia State history. He’ll join former teammate Ben Chukwuma, a 2025 undrafted free agent, with the Bucs.

Bucs Continue To Get Younger At WR With The Addition Of Ted Hurst

Heading into 2026, the Bucs are suddenly much younger at the wide receiver position than they have been in a long time. After adding Jalen McMillan in the third round of the 2024 Draft and selecting Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson in the first and seventh rounds a year ago, Tampa Bay has now added another young receiver in third-round pick Ted Hurst.

After more than a decade of Mike Evans leading the receiving corps and almost a full decade of Evans and Chris Godwin Jr. sitting atop the depth chart at wide receiver, the Bucs have quickly undergone a youth movement at the position. That’s especially the case given Evans’ departure in free agency.

Georgia State WR Ted Hurst Photo by: IMAGN Images – David Butler II

Godwin is the elder statesman in the room at 30 years old, and the recently signed David Sills V is also 30. McMillan turns 25 in December, Egbuka turns 24 in October, Johnson turns 24 in May and the latest addition, Hurst, will play his rookie campaign at 22 years old.

The Bucs are hoping Godwin returns to form in 2026 after the dislocated ankle he suffered in October 2024 cost him half of that season and appeared to limit him in 2025. But the veteran has no shortage of help behind him in McMillan, Egbuka, Johnson and now Hurst.

Wide receiver didn’t feel like an overly pressing need for the Bucs heading into the draft, but with the way the board fell, this is a selection that makes a whole lot of sense. Because while it’s impossible to call him a true Evans replacement given what Evans has done in his career and all that he meant to the Bucs, the rookie does give this offense a true “X” receiver, something it didn’t have once Evans left for San Francisco.

This is an addition that will surely leave new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and quarterback Baker Mayfield happy heading into a crucial 2026 season.

Did The Bucs Get Good Value With Their Third-Round Trade?

Now, back to the trade. With the Bucs trading down in the third round and picking up another fifth-round selection, did they get good value?

If you look at the classic Jimmy Johnson trade value chart, the No. 77 pick is worth 205 points, while pick No. 84 is worth 170 and pick No. 160 is worth 27. In terms of that valuation model, there’s a difference of eight points, which is very negligible. Those eight points are the equivalent of pick No. 205, which is a seventh-rounder. In other words, that’s a pretty even trade.

Bucs GM Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles – Photo courtesy of the Buccaneers

However, there are other charts that favor Tampa Bay in this deal. The Fitzgerald-Spielberger model values pick No. 77 at 799 points, while No. 84 and No. 160 come out to 1,183 points. That’s great value for the Bucs.

Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo has his own valuation model, which also favors the Bucs in this trade. This chart has pick No. 77 at $30.34 million, while No. 84 and No. 160 come out to $41.96 million. So again, that’s very good value for Jason Licht and Co.

To sum things up, this Day 2 trade ranges from even to favorable toward the Bucs depending on the chart you subscribe to.