Who Should I Start? Ted Hurst III or Zachariah Branch

Thursday, August 27, 9:16 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ted Hurst III has pushed himself onto the deep-league redraft radar with a strong finish to training camp. The third-round rookie stood out during Tuesday's joint practice with Jacksonville, beating Jaguars cornerback Travis Hunter for a 15-yard gain over the middle and continuing a summer in which Baker Mayfield has shown growing trust in him. Head coach Todd Bowles said earlier this month that Mayfield trusts Hurst to be where he needs to be, while Mayfield later praised the rookie's size, speed and ability to win contested catches. Hurst's preseason numbers have been quiet, with two catches for 19 yards on seven targets through two games, but Tampa Bay has repeatedly turned to him while Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson have missed practice time. He also started alongside David Sills V against Kansas City with several regulars sidelined. The path gets much tighter if Egbuka, McMillan, Chris Godwin Jr. and Johnson are all healthy, so Hurst is not a standard-league priority yet. Still, RotoBaller ranks him 11th among rookie wide receivers, and his late-camp rise makes him worth monitoring in deeper redraft formats.