While the 2026 NFL Draft is now less than a month away, the Green Bay Packers haven't publicly announced as many of their pre-draft visits as we've gotten used to seeing in past years, but we do at least now know that there are plans in place to meet with wide receiver Ted Hurst.
Now, if you're not familiar with that name, you're certainly not alone, as the 21-year-old didn't get much national attention at Georgia State. It's almost as if networks don't think they'll get as many viewers by showing Sun Belt games instead of those contested in the Big Ten or the SEC. Weird.
Jokes aside, Hurst is rapidly moving up mock draft boards, which is phenomenal given where he started his college career.
The Packers don't absolutely need to take a wide receiver, even after losing Romeo Doubs to the New England Patriots, as they've still got Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Dontayvion Wicks, Savion Williams, and now Skyy Moore on the roster, but they're obviously bringing in Hurst for a reason, so we might as well take a quick look at him.
NFL draft prospect Ted Hurst was a zero-star player coming out of high school
A zero-star recruit coming out of Sol C. Johnson High School in Savannah, Georgia, where he recorded just 561 yards as a senior, Hurst began his collegiate career at Division II Valdosta State and didn't exactly light up there either, tallying 1,027 yards and 10 touchdowns over two seasons with the Blaze.
But things took a turn in 2024 when he transferred to Georgia State (he just missed out on playing alongside Packers' sixth-round pick Travis Glover) and racked up 56 catches for 961 yards and a program record nine touchdowns en route to earning Second-Team All-Sun Belt honors. And this past year, he bumped up to earn First-Team accolades, catching 71 passes for 1,004 yards and six scores.
The Panthers as a whole were absolutely dreadful, going 1-11 overall and 0-8 in conference play, but Hurst certainly got himself noticed, and a strong performance at the combine only helped his draft profile.
At 6-foot-4 and 206 pounds, Hurst has the size that NFL teams dream about, and his 4.42 40 time only makes him that much more desirable. He's got great burst off the line, but he's still a little raw when it comes to route running. And despite his solid frame, he's good but not great at using it to create separation. That said, though, he did have 34 catches of 20-plus yards over the past two seasons, which led all FBS pass catchers.
Again, the Packers don't necessarily need to draft a receiver, but Hurst, who's also scheduled to meet with the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons, would be a tough option to pass up if he's still sitting there in Round 3 or 4.