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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ted Hurst.

While it is just the early days of Tampa Bay Buccaneers minicamp, all indications are that rookie wide receiver Ted Hurst is going to outperform expectations. The third-round pick has hit the ground running and caught the attention of both head coach Todd Bowles and quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Bowles noted that he does expect Hurst to make contributions right away.

“He’s a very bright guy,” said Bowles. “Every rookie has some learning to do that will progress through the preseason and regular season as well, but I do see him helping us right away.”

Bowles made it clear that Hurst has to earn it in the preseason, but that he also will be given chances in the regular season to go through learning moments.

Meanwhile, quarterback Baker Mayfield is just as excited. He said that Hurst has great hands and body control. Mayfield noted that Hurst has to work rookie stuff as well, but that it is not anything different than a normal rookie.

When both the head coach and quarterback see you getting on the field early, it is time to take notice.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Might Need to Find a Role for Rookie Ted Hurst

Hurst is expected to see the field, but the capacity might depend on the rest of the room. The Bucs have a deep group, and as things stand, Hurst is competing for the fourth wide receiver spot.

The team has Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin as their top two threats. In most scenarios, Jalen McMillan will get the first chance as the third wide receiver, but he has not locked that in.

Hurst is currently next to Tez Johnson as the fourth and fifth receivers in the room. Johnson is a later pick, but he had enough production in his rookie season that Hurst cannot ascend over him quite yet.

The long-term thought is that Godwin is not long for the roster. He may have one more year left before the team moves on from him. So, a rookie like Hurst can sit as depth for a year, and then McMillan, Hurst, and Johnson all move up the depth chart the following year.

Expectations for Ted Hurst as a Rookie

Injuries had a role in the room having a more widespread distribution of snaps, but last year, the Bucs fourth receiver had 428 snaps, while the Bucs fifth receiver had 357 snaps. That led to 322 yards on 28 catches from the fifth receiver and 360 yards on 33 catches from the fourth receiver.

Right now, Mike Clay of ESPN has Hurst projected for 23 catches for 296 yards. So, he is right in line with what the typical fourth and fifth receivers do with Tampa Bay. The question will be whether he can get on the field for closer to 500 snaps and clear 400 yards.

If that is the case, the Bucs have to be high on the trajectory of Hurst, even if those are not eye-popping numbers. Based on the early reports, he might be able to break those numbers.