In front of an energetic Draft Day crowd of an estimated 205,000 fans in Green Bay, the hometown Packers jumped at the opportunity to take wide receiver Matthew Golden with the 23rd pick and end a 23-year drought of taking a WR in the first round.
It was one of the more special moments of the draft as Golden, who was projected to go higher in the first round, finally heard his name called, walked down the tunnel, put the Green Bay hat on, and fired up the crowd that he will be playing in front of this fall. Heproceeded to givea short speech to the Packers fans, ending with a "1-2-3, Green Bay" chant before exiting the stage.
Matthew Golden greeted Packers fans at Lambeau Field for the first time after getting drafted No. 23 overall 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/JQuT4pr5Fm
— ESPN (@espn) April 25, 2025
Golden is the go-to receiver that Jordan Love has been waiting for, and he showed up and showed out in every big moment for the Texas Longhorns in 2024 en route to the College Football Playoff semifinals. He's not only a "7-Eleven" receiver because you can always count on him to be open, but he can also make contested catches - especially when the game is on the line.
In the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal in the Peach Bowl, Golden caught the game-tying touchdown on 4th and 13 in the first overtime to send the game into a second overtime, which Texas ended up winning. He was constantly there for Texas QB Quinn Ewers throughout the season, catching 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns.
EWERS ➡️ GOLDEN 🎯#HookEm | #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/U7BL8Z5gzl
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) January 1, 2025
To put the cherry on top, Golden combined his game tape and clutch playmaking ability with a stellar performance at the NFL Combine, clocking an official 4.29 40-yard dash time.
Green Bay has a solid group of receivers for Love with Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, and emerging tight end Tucker Kraft. But Golden potentially gives the Packers something they have been missing: a long-term No. 1 wide receiver. Coupled with running back Josh Jacobs, Green Bay has a potent offense that has a chance to make some noise in 2025.