Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT: Ted Hurst Could Help Indianapolis Colts Replace Michael Pittman Jr., AD Mitchell

Starting point is 00:00:01 The Indianapolis Colts are in need of a wide receiver in this draft class, and Jake has found the perfect height, weight, speed specimen to throw on this team. Let's get to it. You are Locked on Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to Locked On Colts, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. I'm Zach Hicks. That's Jake Arthur. And today we are back with yet another prospect spotlight for the 26th. NFL draft. We've been cranking these out lately to give you guys some more insight on more prospects in this upcoming draft class, hoping that we get a couple of these right for the Colts. So then you guys have, you know, some brief breakdowns on these players after the Colts select them. But even if they don't take them in a divisional rival takes one of these players, you have some insight onto the new player that you'll see twice a year at the least.

Starting point is 00:00:59 Today we are going to Georgia State for wide receiver Ted Hurst, back to back days, where we've highlighted a wide receiver from a smaller school. Yesterday was Yukon wide receiver, Skylar Bell. And today, Jake goes with a Senior Bowl player, senior bowl standout, a combine standout in Ted Hurst. So Jake, give me the sell. What are you seeing from Ted Hurst on film that has you wanting him for the Indianapolis Colts? Yep.

Starting point is 00:01:22 So this is kind of another self-made guy that we're talking about here. I worked his way up from Valdasta State. His first couple years up to Georgia State has been a three and a half year starter. I think for a receiver, that's a big deal. especially if you're able to maintain productivity throughout. Because, you know, the old adage from small school or like Division 2, FCS tape, basically what people say is you better be able to identify the guy you're supposed to be watching quickly at that lower level.

Starting point is 00:01:52 And you better kind of dominate the competition as well. Hearst has the productivity and the starting experience. He has increased his stats each year. He has 187 catches for 2,992 yards. which is a 16-yard-per-catch average and 25 touchdowns throughout his college career. We talked about productivity being something that is an important indicator for receivers in college. You don't see a lot of guys that didn't produce in college going on to be stars in the NFL. So he's got the track record so far.

Starting point is 00:02:23 And then, of course, like you mentioned at the top, went to Mobile at the Senior Bowl and did really, really well there against some of the top cornerbacks in the entire nation. As a player, you're looking at a guy that's 6 foot 4, 206 pounds, still only 21 years old. A lot of these small school guys, they've been around forever, so they're 23, 24 years old. He's only 21 right now. It was a standout at the combine, ran a 4-4-2 with a 1.5510-yard split, and then had a 36-5-inch vertical with a wide receiver leading 11-foot-3-inch broad jump at the combine. again led all receivers.

Starting point is 00:03:02 So height, weight speed, explosive, productive. When you look at him on the field, luckily for me, he's not one of those guys that has really questionable hands, like his hands are just fine. I think he's got some wiggle in the hips as well, so he's not a real rigid, you know, just has to stay on a straight line type of athlete like a lot of these lengthier, lanky receivers are. So while I think he comes into the league probably at a similar pace to Alec Pierce, a similar role where you're just looking at mostly like a vertical threat,

Starting point is 00:03:37 deep in breaking guy, like a chunk play guy. I think he does have, I think he has the ability to develop into so much more over the first couple years of his career. Now, I think you kind of have to have a plan for a guy like this. So you have to be very deliberate in the way that you develop him. I don't think you just throw him out there or throw him into a niche box right away because you have to, a guy with that broad of a skill set, I think you have to feed that a little bit.

Starting point is 00:04:10 These guys, I think, kind of get neutered and they don't wind up developing if they are just relegated to, hey, you're the nine route guy like that. That's what you're going to do for us consistently. So I do think he's got plenty of ability to be an every down receiver within his first couple years. But when you're looking at, like, a team like the Colts, like, you would fill a nice little role for what they need initially, which is just kind of receiver by committee this year, because you're probably not finding a bona fide starter opposite of peers.

Starting point is 00:04:39 Yeah. And what I really like about Ted Hurst film is kind of like you mentioned, like, he's a big athletic guy, but he's not, it's not like I'm going to get downfield on you and win a contested catch situation, right? It's more of like using his long legs to outstride you and run away from guys. And I think a really good role for him, especially with the Colts looking for a Z wide receiver, which we'll talk about more in the next segment here, is getting him off press coverage, away from press coverage because Alex Pierce is going to be taking a lot of the press this next season,

Starting point is 00:05:10 getting him off that, getting him in some stacked alignments, and just getting him on these routes is what I call run away from them routes, drag routes, crossers, routes where they're coming across the field, and just using that long leg, that explosiveness that we saw at the combine, to get away from defenders. So while I've been pretty open about like, hey, I don't think the Colts need this like one-to-one Michael Pittman Jr. replacement, we don't need this 6'5-230-pound-pie who is a tough catch guy.

Starting point is 00:05:39 They need some more juice. They need a guy who can play off of press and work in those stacked bunches and just get open and create after the catch. I think Hearst of all the bigger receivers in this class fits that more than most because there's so many clips of him last year where you're getting him the ball in the 10 to 15 yards down the field range on these like crossers or digs or in breaking routes and he's able to catch it and transition to being a ball carrier and outrun the defense.

Starting point is 00:06:04 I know he was doing that at Georgia State, but I do think that the testing numbers do show up on film. So yes, it's not like the perfect fit, but when we're talking like round three, round four, you're probably not going to find the perfect fit. I do like his traits. I like what he can bring. And I like his fit as the, again, the Z receiver that the Colts are looking for in this draft.

Starting point is 00:06:25 Yeah, without a question. I think, again, when you look at these kind of height, weight speed guys, they usually, I feel like most commonly they have two big question marks. It's their, they have questionable hands or they can't turn. And that's not really the case for him. His yeah, but is that he comes from Valdausta State and Georgia State, you know. So I think you can live with that. Like guy comes from a lower level of competition, but kind of answered the questions you were looking from him throughout the process so far. So. again, like you said, third or fourth round pick, you could do so much worse than this. Yeah, I will say another yeah, but for me is like how well does he play through physicality at the next level, which will be a huge one? Played well at senior bowl, so I think that's a good step. But being a bit of a slender frame with his size and more of like a run away from them threat, can he if he has to face press at all, can he get off press? Can he fight through the contact that defenders will give him throughout the route?

Starting point is 00:07:20 And can he survive the getting hit after he catches the football? That will be the big question for him. But I still think there's a role there for him. And I think the Colts are a team that can marinate him into being a pretty good receiver. So Ted Hurst, Jake and I are both pretty high on. And I would be a fan of taking him in that like round three-ish range. But we'll see what Jake's opinion is on where he would take him coming up in just a second. But first, this episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.

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Starting point is 00:08:55 talking all about Georgia Statewide receiver. Ted Hurst, a player that are boots on the ground. Jake Arthur saw in person down at the Senior Bowl, and it's got to know a little bit throughout this draft process. So I said I'd be cool with him in like the third round. I don't know if there's a way I could go up to round. Maybe you trade back in round two. I'd be fine with him.

Starting point is 00:09:15 But Jake, what's your opinion? Like where do you think his stock is in terms of like where you take? I know he's had a lot of like top 30 visits and a lot of interest from teams. So let's say like it came down to it where he's like the best receiver on the board at 47 for you. Would you pull the trigger at 47 or would you like a trade down or around three better? No, I would not do 47. I'm pretty anti-receiver being your first pick with what they need on defense. That doesn't mean I don't like him, but he's not my, he's not my favorite option in the world there in the second round. I do think what would be the perfect scenario is, you know, you trade

Starting point is 00:09:52 down in the second round that's going to net you probably an extra fourth round pick. You take him there at 78 with the third or with that first fourth round pick that you've got. I don't think you're going to be able to get him beyond the fourth round. You may not be able to get him at all in the fourth round. I think there might be teams. Again, like you mentioned, he's a very well-traveled guy right now, including the Colts. The Colts have hosted him for a visit. You're probably going to have to get him in the third if you like him that much.

Starting point is 00:10:20 And the Colts, we've talked about, like some mixture of their first few picks needs to be edge, linebacker, and receiver. I'm just trying to, I think I go day by day sorting out what that order is. You know what I mean? And I mean, they're not going into it with a rigid order. I mean, they have goals, I think, positions they'd like to fill. But they'll ultimately let the board dictate that. Yeah, no, for sure. And I'm trying to think of a pro comp forum going through this.

Starting point is 00:10:46 Like a lengthy, long-legged receiver that can outrun players, but maybe some physicality. And like even some of the, I don't think he wins vertically super. Like he does win vertically, but I don't think that's his calling card. You know, like I think it's more. And he can get some contested catch jump all stuff. Yeah. So while I keep thinking, I'm going through every single team my head.

Starting point is 00:11:05 While I'm doing that, Jake, go into like how you would use him in year one. I know you've kind of talked about like a by committee approach. But to me, I'd probably give him like most of the snaps at Z receiver. Like I think so. You want to get more snaps of Josh Downs, obviously. So I think Downs usage will go up for sure. But like I'd give him most of snaps. to get dueling in there for some blocking stuff.

Starting point is 00:11:26 But like if you take Hearst in like round three, I think you're giving him most of snaps out there. Yeah. And we know Shane Steichen loves his crossers and his shallow stuff. You know, the mesh and just anything getting guys, you know, streaking across the middle. And like you mentioned, I think that is a good little role for him.

Starting point is 00:11:43 How Michael Pittman Jr. was that guy that drug across the middle of the field with the yards after catch opportunities. Yeah, like that's a guy who's a big body and is going to be able to pick up extra yards with the ball in his hand if you get him out in stride. So I like that quite a bit. I know I said I wouldn't pigeonhole him into just vertical stuff, but you certainly can. Like I picture, you know, play, play action.

Starting point is 00:12:10 He's your guy on the boundary that's, you know, going deep on it on the outside one-on-one. I mean, I know Alec Pierce is going to get a lot of that. There could be opportunities for you to do that like he did with A.D. Mitchell. I actually like him as like if you're doing play action. Like, you know, the Yankee calls where he appears doing the deep posts and you have the deep crosser underneath it. I like him a lot as that deep crosser underneath. I think he could do that. Him on the big inbreaking stuff, I think would be pretty beneficial.

Starting point is 00:12:35 Well, because that was the thing, right? With Pittman, you could never really hit the deep crosser on those Yankee calls. It was mostly Pierce or checkdown because, look, Pittman's a great receiver. He's just not super athletic. He's not going to run away from guys unless it's schemeed up that way and there's a coverage breakdown. Hersch can run away from guys if you give them. So if you have on these like max protection play action Yankee calls and you get the corner and the deep safety running with Pierce and you just get one corner with Hearst and hers just has all that open field to run away. I think that can be an awesome.

Starting point is 00:13:06 I said the same thing with Skylar Bell yesterday. But I think Hurst can probably pull away even better than Bell could because of the long legs and the in the speed that he has. I like that. It's funny because I didn't find myself coming to this conclusion much. but do you remember when Pierce was coming in and a lot of people compared him to Jordan Nelson because the white wide receiver thing and it's like they just weren't really that similar type of player I can't yeah Nelson just had more wiggle to him but now that I'm thinking I'm like 10 first is kind of like Jordan Nelson young Jordan Nelson in a way like when the Packers won

Starting point is 00:13:39 the Super Bowl and Nelson was like really young like okay I could kind of see that I don't hate it Nelson developed into like he got to the lizard brain thing with Aaron Rogers and it completely took off from there, you know, but like, it's, it's interesting. You know, if you get, if you get Ted Hurst with a young quarterback at some point and they form that strong bond, but, no, I mean, especially, you know, for a guy like Daniel Jones, who I think especially this year, you're going to be living with a lot of rhythmic stuff. Like, you're probably not uncorking it as much as you did last year. But those rhythmic yards after catch almost West Coast concepts, I think you could fit into that decently well. Yeah, no, for sure. I actually kind of,

Starting point is 00:14:18 of like the Jordy Nelson comp there a little bit. Like I'm not saying I, I'm not saying I love it because it's hard when you comp a guy to like, you know, a Ring of Honor level player, you know, or like, or higher. Play style. It's up to him to fill the actual shoes. Right, right. But it's better than like the Christian Watson. I kept coming back to him like, well, that's like a long-legged, like big receiver.

Starting point is 00:14:37 If we're looking over at mock draftable real quick before we get out of here, his top comps are like just a bunch of dudes in this current draft. I don't. I know. Cedric Tilman. is in here. We have, yeah, everybody from Justin Hunter from back in the day. That's a throwback right there.

Starting point is 00:14:56 Yeah, okay, now that you say, okay, wow, Justin Hunter, that's like perfect. That's who started the anti-Tennessee wide receiver thing. Right. Why no one likes Tennessee wide receivers because of Justin Hunter, first and foremost. Yeah, we got A.T. Perry in here from a couple years ago. But outside of that, it's just guys in this draft like Stribling and Jay Michael Sturte event as well. So, I mean, that's the kind of guy we like at least. So Ricardo Lewis is on here as well.

Starting point is 00:15:24 That's another one. That's interesting. But yeah, Justin Hunter, low-end comp, Christian Watson, middle end and Jordy Nelson high-end comp. That's what we're going to stamp it as right here on today's prospect spotlight. But Ted Hurst overall, I enjoy his film. I think he's a good player. And I think the Colts would be good to have him.

Starting point is 00:15:42 That is all we have for today. And while I pull up my closing script real quick here, Make sure you are following us on socials at Lockdown Colts at Jake Arthur and it fell and at Zach Hicks to, again, all on all social medias there. Make sure you're checking out the indie draft guide that just released the last couple of days. We'll have the link to that in the show notes. And I'm still pulling up. Jake, do you have the close out in front of you?

Starting point is 00:16:08 I do, actually. But yeah, guys, the Every Dayer Club as well. We have not plugged that yet. But the thing's really active this time here, especially with the draft. everyone's throwing in the rumors and everything. It's basically everyone who listens and watches this show is just hanging out in the chat, you know, all throughout the time.

Starting point is 00:16:25 So that is at locked on colts. supercast.com. We also have a link for it in our show notes. But with that, we're going to have our full length show here in just a moment, kind of a continuation of yesterday's show where we're talking about guys who may not fit these fever pitch needs for the Colts, but they're guys who we like and we think the Colts might like as well.

Starting point is 00:16:45 So we will get to that in just a moment. moment. We will see you guys in just a little bit.

Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - PROSPECT SPOTLIGHT: Ted Hurst Could Help Indianapolis Colts Replace Michael Pittman Jr., AD Mitchell

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