Paul Bretl | 7/4/2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers need more from their wide receiver unit this season. That responsibility won’t only fall on the shoulders of incoming rookie Matthew Golden–it will be a group effort–but as a first-round selection, he will have to be an important part of that equation.
“I just like his approach, how he comes to work every day,” Matt LaFleur said of Golden during minicamp practices. “You know, he gives great effort. His attitude’s been outstanding, and obviously he’s got, he’s a talented young, young player. So still got a lot to learn, but I think he’s showing improvement every day.”
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The addition of Golden to the Packers’ offense brings more elite speed to the wide receiver room, an element that will very much be needed while Christian Watson is sidelined. During the pre-draft process, Golden would run a 4.29-second 40-yard dash.
Having that kind of speed within an offense and the ability to stretch the field can obviously help generate explosive plays, and as Matt LaFleur says, explosives lead to points. While Golden’s 22 targets last season with Texas of 20-plus yards isn’t an overwhelming amount, he was extremely efficient on those throws, catching 13 of them, which was tied for the eighth most in college football.
But that big-play ability isn’t the only benefit that comes from having a player who can win down the field. When defenses have to respect that vertical presence, it creates more space underneath and over the middle of the field for other pass-catchers to take advantage of.
However, Golden isn’t only a downfield threat. He will offer a lot more to this Packers’ offense and can impact the passing game in a variety of ways. Along with Golden’s 22 targets downfield last season, he also had 26 targets on passes from 10-19 yards and 26 others on passes from 0-9 yards, according to PFF.
His target distribution across the field was incredibly consistent, and with that, Golden also has experience lining up both from the slot and out wide. This interchangeability that Golden brings to the NFL level is precisely what LaFleur wants to have at the receiver position, as it allows him to really customize game plans based on the opponent, and it makes defending this Packers offense more challenging, with there being that level of unpredictability because so many players can fill a variety of different roles.
“The routes he’s running, the things he’s doing, he looks very smooth, looks real smooth in all the routes he’s running,” said Jordan Love during OTAs. “He’s got great hands, great body control, all those things, so I think for him the biggest thing is just how fast can he pick up the offense and being as consistent as possible with knowing what he needs to do on every play.”
Golden would finish his 2024 season at Texas, catching 70% of his 83 targets. In addition to his high catch rate, Golden showcased his big-play ability, averaging a hefty 17.0 yards per catch, which not only included downfield throws but also a steady playmaking presence with the ball in his hands as well.
And not to be overlooked, but two of Golden’s best performances in 2024 came in two of Texas’ biggest games. In the SEC Championship Game against Georgia, Golden went for 162 yards. Then, in Texas’ first College Football Playoff game, Golden went for 149 yards.
On paper, it’s easy to see why the Packers selected Golden in the first round. From a speed and skill set standpoint, he checks many of the boxes that the Packers desire at the receiver position, and by all accounts, he has acclimated himself well in the early going.
“Oh, man, the kid’s a stud,” Romeo Doubs said. “Doesn’t really say much. He just comes in and works. He has been real consistent in that area. If he has any questions for me, he comes to me. If he goes to Jayden, he goes to Jayden and makes sure that he asks as many questions as he can because he is a rookie. The kid’s playing fast right now, so I’m excited to see him.”
With that said, like any first-year player, Golden is navigating the learning curve that comes with making the jump to the NFL level. This includes going up against bigger, stronger, and faster defenders, along with learning a new playbook, one that under LaFleur is quite robust.
So while there may be a variety of ways that Golden can leave his mark on the passing game with the different ways he can be utilized, step No. 1 this offseason has been learning the playbook and the foundational elements of the LaFleur offense. From there, more can then be added to Golden’s plate.
“I think for him, every day he’s been getting better just understanding what he needs to do,” Love said during minicamp. “You could tell the first couple days there might be a couple routes here and there where he just might be thinking a little bit too much out there and not just going out there and playing fast, which is expected for someone who just got here and is learning the whole offense and everything.
“I think the faster he can pick up everything, which I think he’s been doing a great job of understanding where he needs to be and just knowing that, but obviously the more installs, the more offense we put in, it gets harder. The more he can stay locked in with all that, I think he’s definitely going to be a playmaker for us and excited to see how far he can go.”
As the Packers do, they’ve rotated fairly heavily at the wide receiver position during OTA and minicamp practices. But firmly in the mix when it comes to first-team reps with Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks is Golden.
Perhaps more than anything, what the Packers are searching for at the receiver position is consistency. Dropped passes and wrong or mistimed routes were far too prevalent last season, paritcularly during those final games of the 2024 season.
Again, Golden on his own won’t solve those issues within the entire Packers’ receiver room, but his presence can provide additional playmaking potential and increase the overall competition at this position with there now being fewer roster spots, snaps, and targets to go around. That, in turn, then hopefully elevates the play of this entire group.
“I think the world’s changed a little bit,” said Brian Gutekunst during the draft about receivers making a quick impact. “It always takes receivers a little bit of time to get going. It used to be kind of that end of Year 2, middle of Year 3 when they really–things slowed down for them and they could really produce. We’ve had a lot of history where that happened.
“I think because of the high school football and the way they throw it around, the 7-on-7s, and just some of the things have changed on the lower levels, guys are coming in and making an impact quicker and I certainly think Matthew has the opportunity to do that.”