Ted Hurst is a 6’4, 206-pound wide receiver from Georgia State University. Ted Hurst is probably the best Group of 5 prospect in this year’s NFL Draft. He combines size, speed, and solid route-running, giving him a strong chance to succeed at the next level. He played basketball and football at Sol C. Johnson High School in Savannah, Georgia, and earned first-team All-Region in football. Unfortunately, he was not heavily recruited and started his college career at Valdosta State. With the Blazers, he recorded over 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns across two seasons. After transferring to Georgia State, he took a big step forward. By 2025, he had become one of the top wide receivers in the Sun Belt Conference, earning multiple first-team honors and a spot on the Biletnikoff Award preseason watchlist.
Hurst has strong hands and can make difficult catches, often grabbing the ball away from his body. He has great hand-eye coordination, which probably developed over time with his basketball background. He made this ridiculous catch in the combine, which shows up on tape. He has a trait I like to call arrogant hands. His ability to snatch the ball out of the air and attack the ball, rather than let it simply come to him, is very important. His length gives him a large catch radius, which helps him make plays other receivers cannot. However, he is not always consistent. His drop rate, recorded at 9.7 percent, shows that he can lose focus at times. He also does not always use his size to his advantage in contested-catch situations, which is something he will need to improve at the next level, especially given the jump in talent he will face in the NFL. His release off the line of scrimmage is another area that needs work. While he uses a variety of moves, they can be too slow, especially against press coverage. He has the quickness to win on shorter routes like slants, but he needs to improve his hand usage and be more aggressive to beat defenders consistently on deeper routes. After the catch, Hurst is a dangerous player. He has enough quickness and balance to make defenders miss, and he showed toughness by breaking 18 tackles in 2025. Even after adding weight before his senior season, he kept his explosiveness, which is a good sign for his transition to the NFL.
Hurst has the size to be an X in the NFL, but plays more like a Z. He’s a good athlete who can win downfield with technique and speed, and he’s tough over the middle. Hurst has strong, but inconsistent hands, can add more mass, and needs to use his size more to be a versatile WR who can play X or Z.
Hurst is often compared to George Pickens, but I think he’s more like Nico Collins. Nico Collins is the player I compared him with because of their similar size and play style. Both players entered the NFL as vertical threats, with some inconsistency, particularly in drops. Like Collins, Hurst has the potential to grow into a more complete receiver over time. In fact, Hurst may already be better than Collins was coming out of college over the middle. In the NFL, Hurst projects as a WR3 or WR4 early in his career, with a role as a serious threat and red zone target. Teams like the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Indianapolis Colts would be good fits because they could use his ability to stretch the field. Overall, Hurst is a talented player with a high ceiling. He may not be ready to be a top receiver right away, but his size, athleticism, and route running make him a strong Day 2 prospect. If he improves his consistency and learns to use his size more effectively, he could develop into a high-end starter by his third year in the NFL.
Scheme Fit and Team Fit: Z-WR, Vertical Threat
Hurst’s team fits are the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and the Indianapolis Colts. He can be used to attack downfield (34 catches of 20+ yards over the last 2 years), has burst and technique to get open on crossers, and can attack soft coverage as well.
NFL Player Comp: Nico Collins
I chose Collins because they are similar tested athletes with similar issues. Hurst and Collins have some drop problems in college, but are big, fast WRs who can win downfield. Collins developed his intermediate game over time in the NFL, and I think Hurst is better at that coming out than Collins.
Projection: Role-Player Y1 / High- End Starter Y3
Can be a WR3/4 with a role of winning downfield, being effective in the RZ, developing in his catching, and using his size will be very important. Development in his press technique and getting used to the jump in the NFL talent will be important as well.
Grade and Round Projection: 5.09 / Late Round 2 Pick
Will be a day 2 selection, could go earlier, but I think some teams need to be cautious with expectations Y1.
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