Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers offense got a fun new toy with their first-round selection, Matthew Golden.
While Brian Gutekunst said he doesn’t necessarily need his first-round pick to contribute immediately, expectations are high for the former Longhorn. With Christian Watson set to miss some time and the inconsistency we saw from the rest of the receiving corps, there’s plenty of room for Golden to get into a groove early.
With Watson out of the lineup, the Packers have a need for speed. Thankfully, Golden, who ran a 4.29 40, can fill some of that void.
However, Golden’s selection has many wondering if he’s the future Christian Watson replacement. The former second-rounder is in the last year of his deal and spent much of his rookie contract on the sidelines. The Packers will make a big decision about Watson’s future based on how he looks when he returns.
But Golden isn’t a Watson replacement. Despite being speedsters, they do different things well. Using both receivers’ skill sets simultaneously is much more appealing than just having one on the field.
Besides the drop flu that plagued Green Bay’s wide receiver room in 2024, their other biggest issue was man coverage.
While Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks were in the back half of success against man, Watson was one of the league’s best. Watson averaged 3.34 yards per route run versus man coverage, good for fifth out of 105 qualifying receivers.
It’s a testament to Watson’s size and skills that he can bully through defenders in ways his teammates can’t. Coupled with his blocking ability to be a threat on jet sweeps (even if it doesn’t always work out) and more reliable hands, he’s a threat that’s hard to replicate.
Matthew Golden might feature unique speed, but he can’t replace Watson’s other traits.
Golden was a killer against zone coverage thanks to his sheer speed and crisp route running, but he’s not a man-eater yet. While he had limited opportunities against man (13 targets), he was 212th in this year’s draft class in yards per route run against man.
Golden is a young player and can grow in that regard, but right now it’s not an area of strength, and the Packers can’t expect him to fill Watson’s role in that way.
The other major difference is in their sizes. Watson is 6’4”, 208 lbs. His sheer size and North Dakota State’s run-heavy scheme made Watson a monster of a blocker. While you’d like to see Watson play to that size a bit more (the injuries haven’t helped), he’s tough to bring down and can plow through defenders. That makes Watson a fun option as a big slot when the play calls for it.
Golden isn’t tiny but is slightly undersized at 5’11”, 190 lbs. He’s a willing blocker, which Matt LaFleur loves, but he can still get pushed around too much. Golden plays with a big catch radius but relies on his breakaway speed to get in the right spot to find the ball.
Watson and Golden are fast but use their body types differently, and they have different specialties coming out of the draft.
Expect to see Golden mostly as a classic Z receiver on the perimeter, using that elite speed and route running to earn his spot early. He’ll be the element of explosive speed the offense needs, but it won’t replace everything Watson is capable of.
Meanwhile, third-round pick Savion Williams should lighten the load a bit by taking over some of Watson’s gadget plays. Williams is more of an offensive weapon than a polished wide receiver at this point in his career and will see many schemed touches as he learns the nuances of the position.
Rather than view Golden as a long-term replacement for Watson, consider what the two can do on the field together once Watson returns. By then, Golden will have better acclimated to the NFL. With Watson, Golden, and Reed on the field, the Packers will have a dynamic trio with explosive play ability, hopefully bringing some consistency into the offense.
Watson’s long-term future in Green Bay is still a huge question we can’t answer until we see how he looks after his return. While Green Bay reloaded at wide receiver and Golden possesses the quickness the offense needs, Golden isn’t there as an heir. An offense can never have enough big-play weapons, and a future with Golden and Watson is gleaming.
