With the 66th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans will select Savannah’s Ted Hurst, a wide receiver from Georgia State, predicts Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid, another NFL draft analyst, envisions the Washington 
Commanders taking Hurst with the 71st pick of this month’s draft. Dane Brugler agreed in his seven-round, 257-pick mock draft.
Brugler is also the author of the monstrous 600-plus-page draft guide, “The Beast,” with 402 in-depth player profiles and more than 2,700 rankings of prospects for the draft April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. He has Hurst at No. 72 overall and No. 13 at his position as a projected third-round pick.
“Hurst faces a steep learning curve versus NFL press and coverage traffic, but his physical traits and ball-tracking skills — especially as a downfield target — are exciting,” Brugler wrote. “He is a developmental X/Z receiver with down-the-road starting upside.”
Numerous other analysts also have the speedy 6-foot-4, 206-pound senior as a top 100 overall prospect, top dozen receiver, and a likely second day (rounds two and three) selection. Hurst is so intriguing that he has met with many NFL teams ahead of the draft.
The fact that Hurst is a highly regarded “small-school” player after being a zero-star football recruit out of Johnson High School is a testament to Hurst’s football skills, on-field results, athletic ability, and work ethic.
A multi-sport star for the Atom Smashers (football, basketball, track), Hurst had two productive seasons as a wide receiver at NCAA Division II Valdosta State (60 total receptions, 1,027 yards, 10 touchdowns in 25 games from 2022-23).
Then he transferred to FBS Georgia State in Atlanta, where he made an immediate impact and earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors in 2024 (second team) and 2025 (first team) with two of the best seasons for a receiver in Panthers history.
Hurst caught 56 passes for 961 yards and program-record nine touchdowns in 12 games in 2024, and 71 passes for 1,004 yards and six TDs in 12 games last season. He was also on the Dean’s List in the 2025 spring and fall semesters, and made the SBC Academic Honor Roll for 2024-25.
“I don’t look at the stars next to my name from high school,” Hurst was quoted by Colorado-based NHANFL.com in a March 19 article. “I look at the work I put in at Valdosta and GSU. People doubted my speed, so I came here to show them I’m not just a red-zone body -- I’m a threat on every blade of grass.”
Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst set multiple program marks, including 1,004 receiving yards, 71 receptions and six touchdowns, while ranking among the Panthers’ career leaders in receiving categories. (Photo courtesy of Georgia State Athletics)
The combination of talent, speed, height, and athleticism made him an often-devastating presence for Georgia State and earned him invitations earlier this year to the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.
He impressed NFL observers at both and put up measurables in Indianapolis that supported his 2025 inclusion in Bruce Feldman of The Athletic’s annual College Freaks List – a first for a Georgia State player. Hurst recorded a 4.42-second 40-yard dash, 11-foot-3 broad jump, and 36.5-inch vertical.
Ted Hurst runs a drill at the NFL Scouting Combine. (Photo courtesy of Ted Hurst social media)
Brings ‘big-time game’
Here’s what the experts have written recently about Hurst:
Bucky Brooks of NFL Network has Hurst as his No. 10 wide receiver.
“The long, rangy pass-catcher (6-foot-4, 206 pounds) is a natural ‘X’ receiver with the speed, quickness and burst to develop into a 1,000-yard receiver as a pro,” Brooks wrote. “Despite his small-school status, Hurst brings a big-time game to the field that surprises defenders who are unable to handle his rare combination of size, speed, and skill.
“As the league continues to evolve into a matchup league where coaches target mismatches, Hurst’s ball skills and playmaking ability make him one of the hidden gems in the 2026 class.”
Rob Rang of Fox Sports ranks Hurst at No. 100 and projects him for rounds 3-4.
“He's sushi-raw as a route-runner, but that can be taught,” Rang wrote. “Hurst offers a 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame with proven 4.4 speed that is well worth a mid-round gamble.”
Damian Parson of Bleacher Report compared Hurst’s player grade of 7.47 (“high-level backup/starter upside” – third round) to current NFL receivers Zay Flowers, Cedric Tillman, and Rashee Rice of the 2023 draft class.
Hurst was ranked No. 66 overall and No. 14 at receiver, and was compared to former University of Georgia standout George Pickens, a Pro Bowl receiver with the Dallas Cowboys.
ESPN’s Field Yates on April 16 ranked Hurst at No. 71 overall, No. 12 at receiver, and a round 2-4 selection. ESPN’s Matt Miller posted a mock draft on March 30 with Hurst going No. 97 to the Minnesota Vikings, writing, “Minnesota has Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison but lost Jalen Nailor in free agency. Hurst's deep speed threat and vertical skills would fill Nailor's role.”
Yates, Miller, Reid, and draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. conducted their own three-round mock on April 2, taking turns making picks on what they personally would do at each slot. When Reid’s turn in the rotation came at No. 71, he wrote: “Hurst matches perfectly with the consistent deep throwing of quarterback Jayden Daniels and could boost a Washington passing game that lacked explosive plays in 2025.”
Reid’s own rankings have Hurst at No. 75 and the No. 11 receiver. Miller has him at No. 84 overall, No. 15 at his position. Draftek.com has Hurst No. 67 overall of 600 prospects, while Pro Football Focus and The Ringer’s Todd McShay both have Hurst at No. 97.
“Hurst is a long, lean outside ‘X’ receiver who brings a solid baseline of blocking and contested-catch ability to the role,” Pro Football Focus wrote. “He has pro-level vertical speed, but it takes some time to build up. He projects as a Day 3 receiver with the chance to be a contributing player.”
Watch for Austin Blaske, Mark Langston
“The Beast” also includes former Coastal Empire standouts Austin Blaske and Mark Langston in the comprehensive guide’s draft prospect rankings. Though not guaranteed of getting drafted, they could be candidates to sign as undrafted free agents.
Langston, a 2019 Savannah Christian graduate, is ranked the No. 14 long 
snapper among 30 listed. He was an All-Big Ten first-team selection in 2025 as Indiana went undefeated and won the College Football Playoff national championship game.
A star pitcher for Savannah Christian as well as all-state as a long snapper and defensive lineman in football, Langston went from Kennesaw State (redshirted in 2019, no game action in 2020) to Georgia Southern (2021-22, injured in 2023) to Indiana, where he was first-team All-Big Ten in 2025 and honorable mention in 2024. He was also an Academic All-Big Ten last season.
Blaske is ranked the No. 34 center among 78 listed. He was a two-time first-
team all-state offensive lineman at South Effingham High School (Class of 2020), where he was also a state champion wrestler in the 285-pound weight class as a senior and in the shot put as a junior on the track team.
He played in parts of three seasons at Georgia and earned academic honors after redshirting in 2020 before transferring to North Carolina, where he made 12 starts at center in 2024.
Blaske was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List for the most outstanding center in college football before the 2025 campaign. He missed the beginning of the season due to injury, then made five starts at left tackle before starting at center for the final four games.
Photos courtesy of the Georgia State University, Indiana University, and University of North Carolina athletic departments, and Ted Hurst’s social media pages.
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