The fact that the Green Bay Packers drafted a wide receiver in the first round for the first time since 2002 says a lot about No. 23 overall pick Matthew Golden.
After all, the Packers may have a logjam in their receiving corps if they don’t make any trades this offseason.
Golden, along with fellow rookie Savion Williams, joins a group that already includes Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson and Jayden Reed, among others.
Needless to say, quarterback Jordan Love won’t be short on weapons this upcoming season.
Golden’s selection, however, suggests the Packers may view him as their future WR1. That idea gained momentum when he was seen taking first-team reps during OTAs — and looked the part.
“Rookie first-round pick Golden was smooth in running his routes Wednesday, and looked the part of a first-rounder,” Mark Oldacres of Packers Wire wrote on Wednesday.
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Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon, however, believes that’s a major overreaction coming out of OTAs.
“It’s early and you have to consider that coaches sometimes move guys like that into rotation with the ones simply to get a feel for how they look even if they perceive them to be far from ready,” Gagnon wrote. “I also get the feeling some of the mental lapses that caused problems for Golden in college will make it hard for him to consistently remain ahead of a bunch of semi-experienced and talented receivers on a team that is trying to contend in 2025.”
Head coach Matt LaFleur likely wanted to see what his young receiver was made of early — especially considering Golden’s blazing speed. He’s expected to be one of the fastest players on the field this season, having clocked a sub- 4.3 40-yard dash.
Still, it will take more than just speed to stand out in the NFL, especially in an already talented receiving room. The competition among Packers receivers will be one of the more intriguing battles to watch once training camp begins.
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