What draft experts said about new Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden

The drought is over. For the first time since 2002, the Green Bay Packers drafted a wide receiver in the first round—selecting Texas WR Matthew Golden with the 23rd pick of the 2025 NFL draft. President and CEO Mark Murphy made the announcement, fittingly, after bringing the draft to Green Bay.

THE DROUGHT IS OVER📺: NFL Draft on NFL Network April 24-26 pic.twitter.com/hFJFTh3jZv— Green Bay Packers (@packers) April 25, 2025Golden was one of the top offensive playmakers in this year's class following an explosive final season at Texas.



Golden hauled in 58 receptions for 987 yards and nine touchdowns to help propel the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff semifinals.Standing at 5-11, 191 pounds, Golden is outside the norm for a team that prefers bigger, athletic receivers, especially one taken in the first round. However, what Golden lacks in size, he makes up for in speed, ability to separate, and playmaking.

He ran the fastest 40-yard dash time among wide receivers at this year's NFL Scouting Combine with an official time of 4.29 seconds.The Packers' offense failed to reach its full potential last season, largely due to a lack of consistency from the wide receivers.

Golden will be a potent vertical threat and potentially a go-to target for franchise quarterback Jordan Love for the foreseeable future.While the fit may seem obvious, let's see what prominent draft analysts had to say about Golden during the pre-draft process:Dane Brugler, The Athletic (draft guide)A one-year starter at Texas, Golden was the Z receiver in head coach Steve Sarkisian's RPO pro-style spread offense and was used across the formation with heavy motions (76.1 percent of snaps wide, 23.

9 percent in the slot). After two promising seasons in Houston's Air Raid scheme, he was an underrated addition for the Longhorns in 2024 and proved especially valuable when it mattered most, averaging 102.8 receiving yards over his final four games (SEC championship and three playoff games).

Fluid in and out of his breaks, Golden shows a plan as a route runner — I love his ability to break down corners by keeping his eyes, hips and feet in sync. That coordination also translates to the catch point with his very natural ball skills to track, frame and finish. Overall, it might bother some teams that he doesn't have better size, but Golden also doesn't have any glaring flaws to his game that would keep him from becoming a productive pro.

He can play inside or outside and become the go-to target for an NFL offense.Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.comGolden has average size, but he plays with tremendous polish, instincts and toughness.

He spends a lot of time operating out of the slot. He can defeat press coverage with quickness or strength. He understands how to tempo routes and sets up defenders down the field.

He can change gears when the ball goes up and he tracks it naturally. He does a nice job of staying grounded through the catch when working on crossers. He has the utmost confidence in his ball skills.

After the catch, he is very strong/sturdy to pull through tackles and he can make defenders miss in space. I love his temperament on the field -- he plays with an edge. Overall, Golden doesn't have dynamic traits, but he's a natural football player and a quarterback's best friend.

He's dependable. Lance Zierlein, NFL.comGolden 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.

Focus drops still pepper his play, but he's a willing participant in traffic and took command of contested catches with better physicality and catch strength in 2024. 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. The Draft NetworkMatthew Golden has emerged as one of the fastest-rising draft prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class, thanks to his standout performances in critical moments during the latter part of the season and throughout the playoffs for the Longhorns' offense.

A transfer from the University of Houston, Golden joined the Longhorns for the 2024 season and has exceeded expectations. While fellow transfer Isaiah Bond, formerly of Alabama, was projected to be the team's top receiver, Golden's consistency has allowed him to claim that role and thrive in it with increased usage and opportunities.Golden has demonstrated that he is a versatile receiver, capable of stretching the field vertically and working underneath coverages.

This versatility enables him to fill multiple roles within an offense. An explosive player, Golden has recorded multiple games with a yards-per-catch average exceeding 20 yards. Additionally, his short-area quickness and natural instincts for the position make him a dangerous weapon for any team.

Golden's effectiveness as a receiver begins with his precise route-running and diverse releases. At the snap, he utilizes a wide array of releases depending on the defensive back's alignment. He can quickly get into his route using a speed release or employ a more deliberate, tempo-controlled release to counter tough press coverage, forcing defensive backs into false steps.

Once into his route, Golden displays the skills of an experienced and detailed route runner. He accelerates and decelerates with ease, using tempo to keep defenders guessing. At the top of both out-breaking and in-breaking routes, he sinks his hips, executes sharp cuts, and accelerates out of breaks, creating separation and providing quarterbacks with clear throwing windows.

Golden is a natural hands-catcher who secures the ball consistently. On deep routes, he excels at tracking the ball, showing exceptional concentration to make catches in stride over his shoulder. He is equally adept at catching the ball in high-traffic areas, demonstrating focus and reliability.

Golden also has a knack for making contested catches, using body control to adjust to the ball and secure it even in tight coverage.Golden's athletic profile makes him a strong option for generating yardage after the catch. He can be utilized in jet motion or orbit motion scenarios to receive the ball behind the line of scrimmage or in short-yardage situations.

Once in space, Golden's short-area quickness allows him to evade defenders and turn routine catches into significant gains. Throughout the 2024 season, he has shown that he is the type of receiver offensive coordinators design game plans around to ensure he gets touches at all three levels of the field. His high-end playmaking traits can be a game-changer for any offense.

The primary concern with Golden as a prospect revolves around his size and whether it will limit his ability to consistently function as an outside receiver. Outside receivers often work in more condensed areas against elite cornerbacks who possess significant physical strength and technique. Teams will need to evaluate whether Golden can consistently create separation and maintain effectiveness in these matchups.

This will be a critical factor in determining whether he can be a true No. 1 receiver at the NFL level.Overall, Golden possesses the athletic traits and playmaking ability to become an elite receiving option for an NFL offense.

With continued development, he has the potential to be a dependable, week-in and week-out target and a focal point for any team's passing attack.PFF draft guideGolden's game is built around impressive movement skills. His footwork is quick yet explosive, which allows him to get off press and regularly create separation.

He also understands some of the nuances of the position already — active hands with good timing to clear press, choosing the correct release moves versus certain leverage and veering routes to create throwing windows. He has some very impressive sideline catches this year, where he is asked to go up and pluck passes with maximum catch radius testing while toe-tapping inbounds. He is fast but not a true blazer by NFL standards.

He is also pretty light in the blocking game despite being used on the line of scrimmage a good amount this past season.Bleacher Report Scouting DepartmentMatthew Golden is an explosive and dynamic receiver with positional flexibility.Golden makes plays from multiple wide receiver positions, X, slot, & Z.

He separates from coverage well with his innate ability to decelerate and accelerate in and out of his breaks. He sells go-routes on the vertical plane well to push the cornerback upfield creating space for him to break downhill and back towards the quarterback. He modulates speeds to Golden is a crisp route runner who separators well at the top of his route.

He is a quick mover with sharp plants to pivot in the right direction. Golden can suddenly change directions and lose his man coverage defender. He works the inside leverage well before cutting between the hashes into the middle of the field.

Golden's speed and acceleration will take the top off the defense; generating explosive plays through the air to back safeties off and create lighter defensive fronts against the run. He will take the primary corner and deep safety vertical; essentially freeing up underneath routes for his teammates. His acceleration is outstanding and on display after the catch.

Golden can explode past defenders after catching an underneath target in space. He shifts gears quickly in space and can eat up grass for maximum YAC.In contested catch situations, Golden displays good body control as he elevates in the air to make a play.

He is competitive at the catch point and can reel in difficult grabs. Golden's ability to contort his body and maintain control to stay in bounds is impressive.As a run blocker, Golden leaves a lot to be desired.

He struggles to sustain leverage or the block. He lacks the play strength and physicality to operate as a play-side crackback blocker. He is easily shed by defenders and displaced.

If aligned in the slot, effective run blocking is important to have in your wheelhouse. Golden's wingspan is functional, but NFL cornerbacks with athleticism and a good wingspan will challenge him at the LOS. His use of hands against press alignment needs work.

To maximize his skill set and potential, he must develop more counters against physical corners.In all, Matthew Golden projects as a WR 2/3 to assume the role of a movement Z receiver. With his speed and explosiveness Golden will be a nice complement to a traditional X-receiver.

He will be the quick separator in the offense.Kyle Crabbs, 33rd TeamTexas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden is an explosive pass catcher who boasts versatility in how he can impact a passing game. The Texas offense unleashed a downfield weapon that accentuated his burst off the line of scrimmage — but his inside/outside versatility sets the stage for a player who can win from the slot with separation quickness and in underneath targets as well.

Golden illustrates excellent body control and contortion skills at the catch point, unlocking his frame to adjust to throws of all angles and making him a high-percentage target when he's given opportunities despite coverage that may be working back into his frame. Golden was an impactful contested catch target in 2024 despite not having the biggest frame and boasting significant separation skills. He's got a little something for everyone.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: What draft experts said about new Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden.