What the Packers saw in Matthew Golden and how his speed and all-around skill set could add valuable elements to the offense
You see a 5-11, 191-pound wide receiver, and it was fair to think that he is slated to be a slot-only player in the NFL, especially for a team that historically prefers big guys. But the Green Bay Packers perceive Matthew Golden as an all-around offensive piece, and that's one of the big reasons why […]
You see a 5-11, 191-pound wide receiver, and it was fair to think that he is slated to be a slot-only player in the NFL, especially for a team that historically prefers big guys. But the Green Bay Packers perceive Matthew Golden as an all-around offensive piece, and that's one of the big reasons why he was the 23rd overall pick in the draft, ending a 23-year streak of the franchise not taking a pass-catcher on Day 1.
"He's kind of above the Mendoza line for that outside, but not by much," general manager Brian Gutekunst said after the selection was made. "When you watch him, he arguably has some of the best hands in the draft. Not only coming back to it and running through it, but when he tracked it over his shoulder and stuff too. He's a strong athlete. He's versatile, he's gonna do a lot of things. But we certainly felt that he could play outside and that was important to us."
Ultimately, the value of the wide receiver position in today's game is too high. The average salary cap benefit of taking first-round wide receivers has been almost $20 million since 2020, and the great ones don't hit the market. And yes, that counts the failures as well, because it's an average.
Grade: A-
What he brings to the table
Despite his size, Golden was primarily an outside receiver at Texas. Last season, his only one for the Longhorns, he played 376 snaps as a boundary player, and 118 in the slot. He finished up the year with 58 catches for 987 yards and nine touchdown receptions.
"Going into Texas, they did a great job moving me around to where I felt comfortable," Golden said after being picked. "That's definitely something I can do. It makes me different from a lot of receivers, because I can lineup anywhere on the field. That goes back to whatever the team needs me to do on offense, I can do it."
At the Combine, Golden ran a blazing 4.29 40-yard dash. This is the eighth best time for a receiver ever, just behind Jacoby Ford, JJ Nelson, Tyquan Thornton, Marquise Goodwin, Henry Ruggs, John Ross, and Xavier Worthy.
However, speed is not his only calling card. After a season where the Packers suffered with drops all around the receiving room, his hands were a significant aspect of the evaluation.
"He's one of those guys. Covering him from a man perspective is gonna be extremely tough. We get to some of those third downs when people are trying to mug us up, and you need someone to get open fast, he can do that," Gutekunst added. "This goes back, and I can hear Ted (Thompson) in my head, you gotta catch it, and he had such good hands. For me, that was a big part of it too."
Quicker impact
Packers fans have complained through the years, and rightfully so to some degree, about the lack of immediate impact from first-round rookies. In the rookie-scale contract era, that's a fair concern. With Golden, Gutekunst emphatically responds to that criticism.
"Because of the high school football, the way they throw it around, seven-on-sevens, and some of the things that have changed at the lower levels, guys are coming in and making an impact quicker," Gutekunst said about wide receivers. "I certainly think that Matthew has the opportunity to do that. Now, we've got some good players in that room, so he's not gonna have to carry the load that way, but I think he has a chance to contribute. Not only as a receiver, but he's got some special team, return ability as well that can help us."
It's a wide receiver, it's a steal based on the consensus big board, there is a major opportunity for surplus value, and the impact can come soon. There are not many reasons to complain about how the first round in Green Bay ended up for the Packers.