The Green Bay Packers did something that they haven't done in more than two decades: draft a wide receiver in the first round. With the 23rd pick in the 2025 NFL draft, the Packers took wide receiver Matthew Golden. There's definitely some pressure on Golden to perform, as the team broke one of their draft trends to take him in the first round. Surely he's worth the pick, right?
Well, it seems like the answer to that question is a resounding yes, at least in practice. By all accounts, Golden seems to be making a positive impact on the Packers' coaching staff. One staffer has described Golden as “phenomenal” and said that he “makes a wow every play,” per ESPN.
The Packers have long been criticized for their aversion to drafting wide receivers with their first-round picks. Even when they had Hall of Fame quarterbacks like Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay chose to use their first picks in the draft to fill every other position. A more recent decision that was chastised by fans was their decision to draft QB Jordan Love in 2020, all while Rodgers was still set to suit up for the green-and-gold of the Packers.
Now that Love is at the helm of the offense, the Packers seem to have had a change of heart. Rodgers and Farve were able to make do with their wide receivers, but they've also had the benefit of getting stars from later rounds. Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson; most of their star wide receivers were later-day picks. This time, though, their wide receivers have not taken a leap as big as their former stars. Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed are solid wide receivers, but they haven't quite stepped into true WR1 territory.
Golden will hopefully be the wide receiver who makes the Packers' WR room more cohesive. If he shows that he's got the skills and the guts to be a WR1 in the NFL, then the Packers are going to be a terrifying team, especially after their latest additions.
