Expectations are high for Green Bay Packers first round pick Matthew Golden, and ESPN analyst Mina Kimes believes he’ll have to live up to them for the team to field a complete offense.
Particularly with Christian Watson possibly out to begin the season (torn ACL), Golden will need to fill the role of deep-ball receiver that the Packers will lack otherwise.
Green Bay Packers Need Golden To Shine
In an injury-hampered season, Watson caught 29 passes for 620 yards, good for an average of 21.4 yards per catch in 2024. No one among Jordan Love’s other targets is as equipped for go-routes and similar patterns deep downfield. Instead, the Packers have a collection of receivers best suited to working the middle of the field or in short-yardage situations – Romeo Doubs, especially, in the latter case, and Jayden Reed in the former.
Drafting Golden gives the roster another potential playmaker, something Love, who has a penchant for chucking, will sorely need if Watson misses serious time. Last year at Texas, Golden hauled in 58 balls for 907 yards (and an SEC-best nine touchdowns), averaging 17 yards per reception.
Green Bay Packers, Matthew Golden, Christian Watson
Texas Longhorns receiver Matthew Golden (2) makes a catch during the Lone Star Showdown against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in College Station, Texas.
“He was thrown some horrible footballs from [Texas QB] Quinn Ewers,” Kimes said of Golden’s performance with the Longhorns, “and he made him right a lot.”
The Packers drafted Golden 23rd overall hoping he can bring that same transformative skillset to the pros, receiving throws from an NFL quarterback.
Citing their offensive limitations last year and Love’s throwing tendencies, Kimes believes Golden can make a big difference. “I do feel like Matthew Golden is going to be a pivot point for the Packers this season.”
Green Bay Packers, Matthew Golden, Christian Watson
Wide receiver Matthew Golden of Texas poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Green Bay Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy after being selected by the Green Bay Packers during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field on April 24, 2025, in Green Bay.
Golden Doesn’t Have To Play WR1, Just Fill Crucial Role
Even with Watson healthy, the Packers’ passing game lapsed into a funk at times, and not because Love just wasn’t good enough. He simply didn’t have a full complement of weapons. Kimes continued:
One thing they really needed at the end was a reliable deep threat. And I say reliable because it’s not just about speed and getting open, which Christian Watson is really the only guy on this team who you kind of trust in that regard, but also not dropping the football. The Packers receiving group had the highest drop rate in the NFL.
Golden himself was not known for having sticky hands in college, noted Kimes, but she isn’t convinced he will struggle with drops in the NFL. “Perhaps most importantly, he was just a big play machine. He had 13 catches over 20 yards, which is the eighth-most of any player in college football.”
This big-play ability is the element of his game that the Packers should be most focused on, and the factor that will determine whether the offense can reach its ceiling.
Green Bay Packers, Matthew Golden, Christian Watson
Texas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden (2) catches a pass during the second half of the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 10, 2025. Ohio State won 28-14. © Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“If Golden can become the explosive deep threat that I think they hoped he would be when they drafted him, I’m feeling pretty good about this offense.”
There has been plenty of talk about whether he can be Love’s number one target, but in Kimes’ opinion, that narrative is missing the point.
“You don’t need a dominant receiver. You need receivers with dominant traits. Receivers who have distinct roles, where if you encounter a problem – a team that takes away the middle of the field, a team that constricts you, a team that plays a lot of man coverage – you have a guy who’s an answer for that.”
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