GREEN BAY, Wis. — Whether or not Matthew Golden catches fire as a rookie remains to be seen, but as the first wide receiver drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the first round since 2002—a talking point that has been beaten to death—optimism is naturally running high.
Perhaps that's a little unfair and places lofty expectations on the shoulders of a 21-year-old who has yet to play a single snap of professional football. Don't tell Golden that, though—it's a challenge that the Texas native will fully embrace.
There also won't be very much margin for both excuses and for error. The Packers will be without their dynamic, big-play wideout in Christian Watson for much of the 2025 campaign after sustaining a torn anterior cruciate ligament in last year's regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears. The injury is going to keep him shelved well into this coming season, and even once he's medically cleared to return to action, it'd be foolish to expect him to demand the same attention from opposing defenses or to even play the majority of the snaps in a game. Basically, there's a realistic, non-zero percent possibility that you won't see Watson return to form at any point in 2025.
Combine Watson's lack of availability with a unit that ranked near the top of the league in drops last season with Dontayvion Wicks and Jayden Reed paving the way and the Packers will be in dire need of Golden to step up to the plate and deliver. The belief that he could is one of the reasons why they utilized the No. 23 overall pick on him last month.
Matthew Golden takes the field at rookie minicamp. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
"Yeah, I mean, he's a great dude. I'm excited to see his potential on the football field," said Jordan Love at his charity softball game in Appleton, Wisconsin on Friday. These marked his first public comments on the team's addition of Golden.
"But just the start we've had, he looks like a stud. He looks like a very polished receiver, I'm excited to see just how far he can take it."
The next phase of the Packers' offseason program will be organized team activities between May 27 and June 5, then they'll be back on the field five days later for mandatory minicamp from June 10 through June 12. It's no secret that Golden was gifted all of the athletic tools necessary to succeed, but how he's able to showcase growth in the classroom and mastering the Packers' offense between now and the start of the season—and even throughout the season—will be paramount.
Golden played two collegiate seasons at Houston before entering the transfer portal in December of 2023. He committed to Texas, playing 16 games through his junior season and catching passes from quarterback Quinn Ewers, who was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round. Golden secured 58 receptions for 987 yards and nine touchdowns in his lone season with the Longhorns, finishing the season as their leading receiver. Even ahead of fellow draft mate, Isaiah Bond, who was once projected to be a second-round pick had it not been for some off-the-field issues.
Clocking a 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this year, Golden posted the fastest recorded time among receivers.
"Not too many guys are running in the 4.2s, I think that's a big separator right there," said head coach Matt LaFleur last week. "I think this guy's got big upside. He hasn't done anything yet and we have go to out there and prove it, but we had him in for a top-30 visit and he was very impressive. The game of football is important to him and that's one of the things you're always trying to figure out with all these players is how important the game of football is to them.
"I think that's how you get guys to reach their full potential, is if guys truly love the game of football and the press it takes to be at your best."
While he may be tasked to produce right away, history doesn't bode well for Golden's chances at doing so. According to ESPN's Mike Clay, only 24 of 148 wide receivers selected after No. 20 overall since 2011 to log at least one snap as a rookie have surpassed 800 receiving yards in their first season. Only 24 of them have caught at least seven touchdowns. Banking on Golden's upside is really all the Packers have going for them at the moment, but that isn't to say his story is already written.
Two of those 124 players who failed to meet that criteria were Watson and Romeo Doubs, each drafted by the Packers in 2022. Watson, who led the team with seven receiving touchdowns and is one of the aforementioned 24 players to do so as a rookie, finished with 611 receiving yards. Doubs ended the year with 425, which even fell short of Robert Tonyan's 470 in what happened to be his final season in Green Bay. Both Watson and Doubs are scheduled to enter unrestricted free agency next spring.
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