It had been 23 years since the Green Bay Packers took a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft.
That’s just not the way they operate, and judging by some of the prominent pass catchers they’ve had during that time, their approach has worked.
That speaks volumes about Matthew Golden‘s talent.
He was gifted enough to make the Packers change their ways and end the streak by selecting him at No. 23 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Asked about Golden, fellow Packers wideout Jayden Reed praised his rookie teammate.
“The way he’s learned the playbook, just the skill set he has, he’s going to be a dominant player in this league,” Reed said. “If he continues to lock in on what he needs to lock in on and focus on the playbook and all that kind of stuff, he’s going to be very dominant.”
Golden will try to become the dominant WR1 the Packers have lacked since Davante Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Christian Watson was supposed to become that, but his never-ending injury woes have prevented it.
Golden will compete for targets with Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks and tight end Tucker Kraft.
Even though there is plenty of pass-catching talent, Golden is expected to stand out from the rest.
He has lofty expectations to live up to and will have to show why the Packers broke tradition and couldn’t afford to pass on him.
