GREEN BAY, Wis. — The path to success as a rookie won't be linear for Matthew Golden.
Life won't be as simple as lacing up a pair of cleats, stepping onto the field and running faster than everyone else en route to catching a football. The fact of the matter is that history doesn't bode well for first-round receivers selected beyond the No. 20 overall pick.
Golden, the 21-year-old who was drafted by the Green Bay Packers at No. 23 earlier this spring, will have to endure the ebbs and flows of what could ultimately wind up being a tumultuous rookie season. With Christian Watson expected to miss a chunk of the upcoming slate of games due to the torn anterior cruciate ligament he sustained in last year's regular-season finale, there may be some urgency for the former Texas Longhorn to contribute right away, but the Packers will have to temper expectations as they integrate him into the offense.
Success—or failure—will hinge on how quickly Golden is able to develop a rapport with Jordan Love, who is entering his third season at the helm as the Packers' starting quarterback. For Love's predecessor, Aaron Rodgers, chemistry and trust was paramount—it's what made his cohesion with pass-cachers like Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams so lethal through the years.
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"It's going to be what it's supposed to be, you know, over time, you've got to build, you've got to gain his trust," Golden told KPRC 2. "So, for me, it's just going out there, putting my best foot forward each and every day and just allowing him to know that I'm going to be right where I need to be. I feel like, for me, it's going to happen over time."
Golden, who played two collegiate seasons for the Houston Cougars before transferring to the Longhorns for his junior year, has spent the last few weeks giving back to his hometown. A Houston native, Golden hosted a handful of youth athletes for a shopping spree at Dick's Sporting Goods at $222 apiece.
The monetary value signifies a number that Golden has sported since high school, represented by the chain that he's often seen wearing around his neck. Rather than stripping backup quarterback Malik Willis of his No. 2, Golden opted to wear No. 22 with the Packers—an unorthodox appearance for a wide receiver and one that was met with some skepticism. However, Golden chose it because 2 was his grandmother's favorite number and 2002 marked the last time the Packers drafted a wideout in the first round. To him, it made the most sense.
Late last month, Golden was also teaching pass-catching fundamentals at a football camp that was hosted at LeRoy Crump Stadium in Houston.
"That's how I was raised, always to give back," Golden said. "If I was in a position to give somebody the clothes off my back, that's what I would do.
"For me, I'm in a great position to do that and just be myself. With my mom, that's how she raised me. Man, it means a lot to me."
By making it a priority to pursue a wide receiver in the early stages of the draft—including Texas Christian University's Savion Williams in the third round—the Packers may be preparing for a world where neither Watson nor Romeo Doubs returns to the team in 2026. The pair of 2022 draft picks, selected in the second and fourth rounds, respectively, are entering the final years of their rookie contracts. An argument could be made that both receivers offer their fair share of value to head coach Matt LaFleur's offense, but finding a way to retain both—even at their projected market value—feels unlikely.
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The arrival of Golden and Williams is also a clear indication that both LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst are sending a message to the rest of the room: 2024 simply wasn't good enough. 2023 draft picks Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks combined for 19 drops between the two of them alone, with Reed's 10 leading the duo. The Packers, as a whole, finished the season with 33 dropped passes, which ranked third in the league. No quarterback had more of his third-down incompletions come as a result of receiver error—Love's 32.7 percent was nearly double the next full-time starter, which was Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals at 18.9 percent.
Between Watson, Doubs, Reed and Wicks, not a single player eclipsed 900 receiving yards. Five different players had more than 400, but Reed was the only receiver to have more than 700—Tucker Kraft, a tight end, finished with 707. Matters for the receiving corps worsened in the playoffs when both Doubs and Reed exited the Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles with injuries while Love tossed a trio of interceptions. The Packers were already without Watson, who sustained his season-ending knee injury the week prior.
The Packers are banking on a resurgence from both Reed and Wicks, who were stellar as rookies in 2023, as well as a healthy year for Love. He suffered a knee injury in the season-opening loss to the Eagles in São Paulo, Brazil, and missed two games, but it would plague him for the rest of the season. With the infusion of talent and speed in Golden, whose 4.29 40-yard dash led this year's class of wide receivers at the NFL Scouting Combine, there should be a significant uptick in efficiency. As aforementioned, establishing familiarity with Love, though, is the first order of business for Golden.
"Definitely want to go get that Lambeau trophy, man," Golden said. "That's the question mark we got in our team room is just filling in that blank. That's the last thing we need in that team room and, for us, that's all we talk about at practice is getting that trophy.. We're doing everything we can each and every day to get to that point and just letting the rest be built up by itself."
Zachary Jacobson is the Editor-in-Chief of Packer Report. He is entering his 11th season covering theGreen Bay Packers. He is a member of thePro Football Writers of America. Follow him on Twitter@zacobson or contact him via email atitszachariahj@gmail.com