Bucs Legend Believes Early Hype Surrounding Buccaneers Rookie WR is Real

Even some of the Bucs' greats are starting to believe in the team's young rookies.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Ted Hurst | @LogansTwitty

Selecting wide receiver Ted Hurst in the 2026 NFL Draft might go down as one of general manager Jason Licht's best draft plays — at least, that's what Licht hopes.

Hurst has been impressive through his first NFL offseason and seems to only be on track to become a relied-upon weapon for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Hurst's practices so far have shown his unique versatility given his length and size, and with reports out of camp coming in, it's no wonder that those with a fly on the wall of One Buc Place also believe the young, raw wide receiver could be great.

Rondé Barber on Ted Hurst: 'Fire Underneath That Smoke'

"The smoke is real. There is fire underneath that smoke,” the Bucs' legendary defensive back exclaimed on the Ronde Barber Show on WFLA-TV. “He’s been impressive. I hear he’s learning a couple of positions. He’s not just focused on the X position… He’s got the football IQ to do both, which is a great thing.”

Georgia State Panthers wide receiver Ted Hurst (16) Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Barber spoke extremely highly of Hurst, but it was more so in the way you could see that he truly meant what he was saying, making the possibility of Hurst eventually becoming a star all the more believable.

Hurst has looked fluid in and out of his breaks, and to Barber's point about his football IQ, it seems like he has been working out in NFL circles for years now. He looks every bit ready to take coaching from someone proven in success, like Zac Robinson, and learn while he develops into what he can be.

And once he does reach those levels of putting it all together with route-running, blocking on the outside, finding spots in the zone, becoming a legit end-zone threat and turning those "50-50" balls into more like "70-30" ones, the rest of the league will have to watch out.

Hurst, Others Expected to Have Impacts

Barber wasn't only high in Hurst, either. He also singled out fellow rookie Rueben Bain Jr., whom he could see as someone who will help change things on defense for Todd Bowles, and he also expects recently signed running back Kenny Gainwell to really showcase his talents when training camp rolls around a month from now.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.