Many Packers fans have gotten their wish. The draft’s hosts have selected Texas receiver Matthew Golden at No. 23. While the franchise has seen plenty of Day 2 receivers (Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson), Golden is the first Day 1 wide receiver for Green Bay since 2002, before he was even born.
Green Bay fielded trade calls, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Discussions were held with the Eagles, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. Instead, the Packers have broken with recent tradition in taking a first-round wideout.
After two promising seasons at Houston, Golden transferred to Austin and had a breakout season, logging 987 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. While he put forward a decent campaign for most of the year, he blew up over the last four games of the Longhorns’ season, averaging 102.8 yards over the stretch of the SEC Championship Game to Texas’ three playoff games. He only added to the intrigue in Indianapolis when he ran a 4.29 40-yard dash at the combine.
Golden joins an already youthful and diverse receiving corps in Green Bay. Currently manned by Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton and Mecole Hardman, the Packers wide receivers group is going to have quite a bit of competition for roster spots come the end of August. Golden fits in the mold of more of Reed, Melton and Hardman, but he enters the NFL with a higher pedigree than any of those players did.
Regardless, Jordan Love has a new target in Green Bay. With Doubs, Watson, and Hardman all set to play through contract years, Golden gives the team an option if they’re unable to secure everyone they’d like to lock down long-term.
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