Ted Hurst

The Player

Hurst is a small-school prospect with elite traits who turned a lot of NFL decision-makers’ heads with his strong showing against higher-caliber defensive backs at the Senior Bowl and sensational testing numbers at the combine. He spent two years at Valdosta State before transferring to Georgia State for the past two seasons, where he racked up 127 catches for 1,965 yards (15.5 yards per catch) and 15 touchdowns. Hurst displayed an elite combination of size, length, speed, and lower-body explosion at the combine. At nearly 6-foot-4 and 206 pounds with long arms (32 5/8 inches) and big hands (9 3/4 inches), Hurst ran an excellent 40 time of 4.42 seconds while also turning in the best broad jump (11 feet, 3 inches) of the wide receivers in attendance and an above-average 36.5-inch vertical jump.

Georgia State went 4-20 in his two seasons there, and his production versus top competition was a bit of a mixed bag. He mustered just 41 yards on four receptions in games vs. Ole Miss (2025), Georgia Tech (2024), and James Madison (2024). He fared better in four other games versus higher-level opponents, combining for 356 yards on 24 catches against Vanderbilt (2024 and 2025), James Madison (2025), and Memphis (2025). Hurst is a long-striding gazelle in the vertical passing game. He gets over the top in a hurry and has the length to go up and get the ball. He transitions upfield efficiently in the short passing game and accelerates well after the catch. He also has nifty feet for his length and enough lateral quickness to make the first defender miss. 

His ball skills have room for growth. He attacks the ball with his hands and shows the ability to pluck it with confidence away from his frame, on the run, and over his head. He does a lot of dirty work over the middle of the field and makes tough catches in traffic and while getting hit. He had some impressive head-top catches in the red zone in college. But he also had some below-the-waist drops, and I’d like to see him attack the ball more aggressively sometimes. He can also be a bit inconsistent when tracking the ball vertically. 

He needs to refine his route running by developing crisper breaks, improving his leverage and tempo, and setting DBs up with subtle moves. But thanks to his speed and length, he can naturally create separation in a way that few wide receivers can.

The Draft

Hurst is too unproven and unpolished to come off the board in the top 50 picks in a loaded wide receiver class, but he’s also too talented to last until day three. 

The Projection

Hurst shares many similarities with Christian Watson and Marquez Valdes-Scantling when they entered the draft. The NFL will be a real transition from the level of competition Hurst faced in college, and teams will bet on his long-term upside as a big-play perimeter receiver who is equally dangerous after the catch. As a rookie, the expectation should probably be for Hurst to serve as a no. 4 receiver who works his way up to having a starting role in a three-receiver package.