The crowd responded accordingly.
As Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy spoke to the draft-goers outside of Lambeau Field, he didn’t bury the lede when he announced: “For the first time since 2002…”
Everyone knew instantly: It was a wide receiver. And with Tetairoa McMillan and Emeka Egbuka off the board already, it had to be Matthew Golden.
So what exactly are the Packers getting?
For starters, Golden ran a 4.29 40-yard dash at the combine. Of 39 wide receivers who took part in the 40-yard dash, Golden’s time topped them all.
At 5’11”, 190 lbs., Golden has a frame similar to Jayden Reed‘s. And he loves the spotlight. In a double-overtime semifinal playoff win over Arizona State in January, Golden had seven receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown. In the SEC Championship against Georgia, he piled up eight catches for 162 yards.
We all know Green Bay loves its versatility.
Golden can play on the outside or in the slot. Matt LaFleur can even line him up next to Jordan Love in the shotgun. The Packers should use Gordon in a variety of ways.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com may have summed it up best when describing Golden.
Golden works all three levels of the field with similar consistency and productivity. His route-running needs refinement, but he does a decent job of altering tempo and separating at break points. Golden has the ability to play all three receiver spots. He also has the agility and body control to turn near-misses into highlight catches…Golden’s starting-level traits and big leap forward as a go-to playmaker have him primed to become a productive catch-maker with the potential to develop into a WR1 in the future.
What can Packers fans expect immediately?
Green Bay has plenty of depth at wide receiver, even with Christian Watson set to miss much of the 2025 season. Depth was never the issue for the Packers. The real concern was that they didn’t have anyone take command as the go-to guy in the passing game.
Golden may become that, but expecting it from the jump is a massive stretch.
Still, the Packers shouldn’t handle him like some previous first-rounders, whom they slowly brought into the mix. Golden has all the tools to be an instant contributor. It just won’t be in a No. 1 role from the start.
That’s just fine. Packers fans can expect someone who will make explosive plays from Day 1 and have some role in this offense from the outset of training camp.
Last year, the room was a bit crowded for Texas. Many pegged Isaiah Bond as the guy in the passing game for quarterback Quinn Ewers. Instead, Golden continued to ascend and eventually became the top weapon for the Longhorns.
The Packers taking a first-round receiver this year, on this stage, in this city, is somewhat poetic.
There are still Packers fans who bring up past drafts where Green Bay could’ve easily taken a wide receiver in Round 1. It’s become a long-running joke. For the draft to be in Green Bay, in Mark Murphy’s final turn as team president before he retires in January, and for them to take a wide receiver now, is apropos.
Gutekunst joked about it in his presser following the selection.
I really sent in a different name, but Mark (Murphy) just announced what he announced.
So what stood out to Gutekunst with Golden specifically?
Obviously he has elite speed. His ability to stretch the field outside the numbers is really, really important. And when you watch him, we thought he arguably had some of the best hands in the draft.
Sounds like a great match for whoever selected Golden. On this night, it just so happened to be the Packers.
Having Golden fall to No. 23 was not something everyone had predicted. After the Carolina Panthers went with McMillan at No. 8, Golden seemed less likely to fall much farther. The Dallas Cowboys were a popular pick to go wide receiver at No.12; instead, they went with a guard. Some thought the Arizona Cardinals would try to pair Marvin Harrison Jr. with another young stud at wide receiver, but they snagged a defensive tackle.
The Seattle Seahawks were considered similar to Arizona. Do they have other needs? Sure. However, the Seahawks also just traded D.K. Metcalf and let Tyler Lockett walk this offseason. Why not pair Jaxon Smith-Njigba with another wideout? Instead, they went guard.
Green Bay avoided plenty of landmines for Golden to fall right into their lap at No. 23 overall. The pick made too much sense. The timing was right, and a sprinkle of fate also seemed to be factored in.
Now is the time to back the pick up with results. That’s in the hands of Golden and Green Bay’s coaching staff. But on this night, Packers fans are rejoicing.
