It’s been a special couple of days for Bucs 2026 third-round pick Ted Hurst. After graduating from Georgia State’s School of Public Health with a bachelor’s of science degree on Thursday, the rookie receiver signed his first NFL contract on Friday not long after he arrived in Tampa for the team’s rookie mini-camp.

With Hurst now under contract, the Bucs have signed six of the seven draft picks in their 2026 class. Tampa Bay first announced the signing of first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. Thursday afternoon, then followed up that news with the announcement that fourth-round pick Keionte Scott, fifth-round picks DeMonte Capehart and Billy Schrauth and sixth-round pick Bauer Sharp had also signed their rookie contracts.

Bucs WR Ted Hurst – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Vasha Hunt

That left Hurst and second-round pick Josiah Trotter as the only draft picks who hadn’t yet signed with the Bucs, but now Hurst joins the other five who did put pen to paper upon reporting to the AdventHealth Training Center for rookie mini-camp.

Hurst was the No. 84 overall pick in April’s draft, and inking his rookie deal with the Bucs is just the latest step in an impressive journey. His college career began at Division II Valdosta State, where he caught 22 passes for 431 yards (19.6 avg.) and six touchdowns in 11 games (six starts) as a freshman and brought in 38 passes for 596 yards (15.7 avg.) and four touchdowns over 14 games (all starts) as a sophomore.

After transferring to Georgia State in 2024, Hurst earned Second Team All-Sun Belt honors after catching 56 passes for 961 yards (17.2 avg.) and nine touchdowns. And in his final collegiate season, he totaled 71 receptions for 1,004 yards (14.1 avg.) and six touchdowns. That earned him a First Team All-Sun Belt selection and an invite to the Senior Bowl, where he had a great week and further established himself on the NFL radar. Now, he’s set to join a stacked Tampa Bay offense led by quarterback Baker Mayfield.

It was previously reported that Hurst had already agreed to terms on his rookie contract before heading to Tampa, but now it’s official.

Bucs Also Make 13 Undrafted Free Agent Signings Official

In addition to signing Ted Hurst to his rookie contract on Friday, the Bucs announced that they have also officially signed 13 college free agents.

Fresno State longsnapper Wesley Brown, Charlotte safety Ja’Qurious Conley, Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels, Rutgers tight end Kenny Fletcher Jr., Arizona cornerback Ayden Garnes, Duke defensive lineman Josiah Green, Kentucky punter Aidan Laros, Nebraska guard Henry Lutovsky, Arizona defensive lineman Deshawn McKnight, LSU outside linebacker Jack Pyburn, Georgia Tech wide receiver Eric Rivers Jr., UCF tackle Paul Rubelt and Army wide receiver Noah Short all signed with Tampa Bay as undrafted free agents.

Bucs QB Jalon Daniels – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Mark J. Rebilas

After a delay, NC State inside linebacker Caden Fordham has also signed as expected, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman reported.

Rubelt, who was born in Germany, is a member of the International Player Pathway Program. That means he will not count against the Bucs’ 90-man roster limit during the offseason.

Of the group of undrafted free agents previously reported to be signing with Tampa Bay, Arizona linebacker Riley Wilson, Nebraska linebacker Javin Wright and Georgia Tech safety Jy Gilmore did not sign.

Bucs Have One Draft Pick Left To Sign, But It Could Be A While

Josiah Trotter is now the only 2026 Buccaneer draft pick who still needs to be signed to his first NFL deal. As Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo said Thursday, don’t be surprised if there’s a bit of a longer wait for the rookie inside linebacker to sign his deal.

Fully guaranteed four-year rookie contracts have been the norm for first-round draft picks for years, but those types of deals have begun creeping into the second round. As Queipo pointed out, full guarantees stopped last year at pick No. 39 with Chicago wide receiver Luther Burden.

Trotter will be looking to negotiate as much guaranteed money as he can. For context, he was the No. 46 pick in this year’s draft. Last year’s No. 46 pick, Los Angeles Rams tight end Terrance Ferguson, had 23% of his four-year salary guaranteed.

Bucs ILB Josiah Trotter – Photo courtesy of Missouri Athletics

Queipo, Pewter Report’s resident cap and contract guru, said he expects Trotter to ask for full guarantees, only for the Bucs to counter with an offer of 33%. In the end, the projection from Queipo is that it’ll end up with the young linebacker getting 50% guaranteed.

Last year, the Bucs didn’t sign their second-round pick, Benjamin Morrison, until July 20. They had five of their six picks inked to their deals by this part of May a year ago, with Morrison being the last to sign two months later.

That’s presumably going to be the same story with Trotter in 2026.