For the first time since 2002 – three seasons before Aaron Rodgers entered the NFL – the Green Bay Packers drafted a wide receiver in the first round of an NFL Draft. Texas’ Matthew Golden was selected No. 23 overall, bringing the fastest receiver of the 2025 draft class to Green Bay.
A shortage of reliable receivers defined the end of Rodgers’ Packers tenure. In his final season, no player topped 800 receiving yards.
Now, some 23 years later, the Packers finally used a first-round draft pick to secure a top-tier target. Golden is already turning heads at training camp, and current starting quarterback Jordan Love has been quick to notice.
“Matthew Golden,” Love said when ESPN’s Kevin Clark asked who the most impressive newcomer is on Clark’s show, This is Football. “He’s shown up since day one and shown his play style.”
In two seasons as the Packers’ starter, Love hasn’t had a receiver surpass 900 yards. The buzz around Golden suggests he could be the one to change that.
“He came in really polished and has been making plays since day one,” Love said. “He’s got very aggressive hands, he’s a smooth route-runner, (and) he’s got speed.”
Those attributes were on full display during the 2025 NFL Combine, including the second-fastest 40-yard dash time of 4.29 seconds. Now, they’re transitioning onto the gridiron during Golden’s first training camp with the Packers.
The Texas product was listed as a 2nd string on the team’s first official depth chart. But when a quarterback is increasingly growing confident in a player, that status can change in the matter of weeks.
“I think for him, it’s continuing to understand the playbook and wrapping his head around everything we have in because we have a very deep system,” Love said. “You can see, when he knows what he’s doing, (when) he’s feeling confident, he’s been playing lights out. He’s going to be a stud.”
Golden entered the 2025 NFL Draft after a career year in his first season with Texas. He recorded career highs across the board with 58 catches for 987 yards, an average of 17 yards per reception, and nine touchdowns.
