For months, it seemed like the Tennessee Titans would need to spend a high pick on a wide receiver because the expectation was that the team would cut Calvin Ridley. Keeping Ridley was the first domino in a series of events that has led to heavy speculation that the Titans could be pushing that need down the draft and targeting small-school star Ted Hurst in the middle of the 2026 NFL Draft.
This report comes from ESPN's Jordan Reid, who said this about the Titans' draft strategy,
"Even after signing Wan'Dale Robinson in free agency, the Titans likely aren't done adding pass catchers, but more additions probably won't come until Round 3 or 4. Ted Hurst (Georgia State) has been frequently mentioned when discussing the Titans' receiver options with sources."
Report: Titans could target Georgia State WR Ted Hurst in NFL Draft
If the Titans love Hurst, they are in a great position to draft him because outlets like Sports Illustrated have him ranked somewhere between the mid-second and mid-third, but with nearly a dozen receivers ranked ahead of him. It's hard to believe that a team would double-dip at receiver that early in the draft. That means it is very likely that Hurst will fall into their lap in the third round at No. 66 overall.
Hurst would be valuable for the Titans because he fills a role that they need to upgrade, which is the X receiver position. The incumbent at the position is Elic Ayomanor, who enjoyed an average rookie season. However, he is really the only big, physical receiver the Titans have, and if he goes down, there is no obvious candidate to replace him.
Interestingly, Hurst is faster and nearly two inches taller than Ayomanor. Meaning, despite Ayomanor earning a 9.71 RAS, Hurst is actually the more athletic tester of the two with a whopping 9.90 RAS.
While Hurst profiles as an X receiver because of his size, he isn't limited to that role, and his athleticism has led draft evaluators to believe that he has the flexibility to play X or Z. That means that if Hurst is a hit and Ayomanor continues to develop, then both could be on the field at the same time with Robinson in the slot between them.
Hurst is exactly the type of receiver the Titans should be targeting in this draft, and a move like this makes perfect sense for the Titans if they can nail their first two selections.