The Packers required an infusion of pass-catching talent heading into the 2025 season, and they got it in the most unexpected way.
After going 23 years without using a first-round draft pick on a wide receiver, Green Bay snapped the streak by taking Matthew Golden at No. 23 overall.
A stark divergence from the norm, the selection has quarterback Jordan Love ecstatic heading into his third season as QB1.
"He's a great dude," Love said of Golden on Friday at his charity softball game, per The Athletic's Matt Schneidman. "I'm excited to see just his potential on the football field. But just the start we've had, doing routes on air and things like that, he looks like a stud, looks like a very polished receiver, so I'm excited to see just how far he can take it."
Golden brings three seasons of collegiate experience to the NFL, with 134 receptions, 1,975 yards and 22 touchdown catches to show for his time split between Houston and Texas. He's got speed for days and clocked a 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, tops among all wideouts.
The Packers will need that dynamism on the field, especially as Christian Watson works his way back from the torn ACL he suffered in the final week of the regular season. But there's more to Green Bay's decision than Watson's injury. Despite fielding the league's 12th-ranked passing offense in 2024, the team was plagued by mistakes; the Packers had a miserable 6.9% drop rate, second-worst in the NFL.
Jayden Reed led the team in receptions (55) and receiving yards (857) and had six TD catches, but he dealt with some nagging injuries that contributed to him tailing off toward the end of the season. Although Romeo Doubs was sturdy with a 46-601-4 stat line, Green Bay suspended him for a game midseason and he also suffered two concussions in a two-month span. Dontayvion Wicks, seemingly able to get open at will, still only mustered a 51.3 catch percentage.
Stocked with complementary pieces but in need of a boost after stagnating offensively in the latter months of 2024, it makes sense the Packers shirked tradition to take Golden early. In fact, they focused solely on offense over the draft's first two days, selecting offensive lineman Anthony Belton in Round 2 and another wide receiver, Savion Williams, in Round 3.
The hierarchal shuffle of the WR corps will be fascinating to watch over the coming months, but one thing remains certain: Golden is expected to burn.
"The speed speaks for itself," Love said. "Running a 40-yard dash, any time you get a 4.2, that's some blazing speed right there, so I'm excited to see how fast he is on the field. I've seen all the highlights, all the good stuff, so we'll see once we get practice rolling and everything how good he is."
