Packers finally end historic WR streak in the first round and get Jordan Love a true playmaker to elevate the offense
The first-round wide receiver debacle is finally over. After 23 years, the Green Bay Packers have selected a pass-catcher with their top selection, getting Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden with the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.The fact that the streak ends in Green Bay is particularly inspiring for a team that needed […]
The first-round wide receiver debacle is finally over. After 23 years, the Green Bay Packers have selected a pass-catcher with their top selection, getting Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden with the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The fact that the streak ends in Green Bay is particularly inspiring for a team that needed a receiver.
"It's funny, it's not a philosophical thing we've talked about through my time in Green Bay, which goes back quite a while," general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the NFL Combine about not taking first-round weapons. "It's never something like 'Hey, we don't want to take wide receivers in the first round' or certain opportunities we've had, we thought that was gonna happen and for whatever reason it didn't."
Matthew Golden Scouting Report
Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Age (Birthday): 21 (9/1/2003)
A to Z Sports Expected Draft Position: 31
Pre-Draft Round Projection: 1
Golden was considered a massive grab for the Houston Cougars in the 2022 recruiting class,. After two seasons of flashes for the Houston offense he opted to enter the transfer portal and ended up with the Texas Longhorns. After a slow start to the season, Golden ended the year as the team's top wide receiver, finishing his final campaign with 58 receptions for 987 yards and nine touchdowns. The talented pass catcher excels at the finer points of playing the position.
Golden is a tremendous route runner, understands how to manipulate blind spots, and does a tremendous job finishing plays at the catch point. At the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Golden ran the forty-yard dash in 4.29 seconds. That continued his rising momentum throughout draft season, but that timed speed doesn't show up much on film. If you are drafting Golden to be a burner down the field, there is a good chance you will be disappointed. He's really just a high-end No. 2 receiver who is extremely dependable.
Career Projection: Immediate Quality Starter
Why the Packers picked him
Once again, the Packers are putting resources to build a strong wide receiver room. Over the past three years, Green Bay has drafted several options at the position, trying to build a group full of viable weapons, even though nobody has risen to the top spot.
Adding a pass-catcher this year was particularly important, because Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks were the only receivers under contract beyond 2025 with the Packers, and nobody is signed after 2026. With Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs entering the final year of their rookie deals, it was relevant to project the future of the position.
“I thought there was a period of time in the middle of the season where we were a very explosive football team. All those guys grew individually in different ways,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said after the season. “It was interesting, as we went through the season, guys took on different roles, nobody established their own role, so to speak. We'll kind of see how that develops through the offseason and into the next season. But I thought they did some really nice things with Jordan (Love).”
Outside of the quarterback position, wide receiver is the one with the potential to generate the most surplus value throughout the rookie contract. This is, once more, what the Packers are trying to accomplish.