The San Francisco 49ers need help at wide receiver, as Brock Purdy’s list of targets is expected to drop off even more in 2026 with Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, Kendrick Bourne, Skyy Moore and Trent Taylor possibly leaving.
On top of that, San Francisco will likely be without superstar tight end George Kittle for a good chunk of the (if not the whole) season after he tore his Achilles in the wild-card win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
With that, the 49ers will have to find more weapons for Purdy in free agency and the draft, and down the latter path, Sports Illustrated’s Justin Melo identified Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst as a “hidden draft gem” for the 49ers to scout during this week’s combine.
“The San Francisco 49ers may lose both Brandon Aiyuk (certainly) and Jauan Jennings (maybe) this offseason,” Melo wrote. “They should draft multiple wide receivers as a result. Georgia State’s Ted Hurst was the most impressive small-school prospect at the Senior Bowl. The 6-3, 207-pound Hurst should use the NFL Combine to prove he has enough long speed to thrive in the NFL.”
Hurst was a zero-star prospect out of Sol C. Johnson High School in Savannah, Georgia, before he committed to play at Valdosta State for the 2022 season. In two years with the Blazers, he caught 60 passes for 1,027 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He transferred to Georgia State for the 2024 season, and in his final two years, he caught another 127 passes for 1,965 yards and 15 touchdowns. During his time with the Panthers, he earned All-Sun Belt honors twice and set the single-season record for receiving touchdowns (9 in 2024).
Hurst is projected to go on Day 2 or Day 3, but with the amount of help San Francisco needs at the position, he shouldn’t be the first receiver they take unless they get a true game-changer in free agency or in a trade.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 25-TD WR identified as ‘draft gem’ for 49ers at 2026 NFL Combine
Reporting by Mike Masala, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
