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The Houston Texans seemed destined to land an offensive tackle with their first-round pick on Thursday night, right?
Knowing that, that means that general manager Nick Caserio will pivot to adding a wide receiver before the end of Round 1.
That's why The Ringer's Todd McShay has Houston doing when on the clock at No. 25. While the Texans could move up for either Texas All-American offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. or North Dakota State do-it-all offensive lineman Grey Zabel, the asking price might be too steep for a team with multiple offensive holes.
Instead, McShay has the Texans targeting Banks' teammate and Houston native Matthew Golden to pair with Pro Bowl receiver Nico Collins and Christian Kirk in the slot.
Golden has been a fan favorite to join forces with Stroud and Collins, given his relationship with the city and its fan base. He grew up in Klein and played for the hometown Cougars before his transfer to Texas ahead of the 2024 season.
The junior also visited the Texans as a hometown product, so it didn't count against Houston's top-30 visits with prospects ahead of Thursday's draft.
Golden, who last season broke out as the No. 1 threat for the Longhorns' offense, left no doubts of his potential upside at the NFL scouting combine, showing off his explosiveness and pure speed during drills. The 6-foot receiver posted the fastest 40-time among all offensive players at 4.29 and the second-fastest time at the event.
After proving his potential as a No. 2 target, Golden became a household name in the SEC during his lone season in Austin. He caught 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns from quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, averaging 17 yards per reception. Golden also stepped up in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal with his 26-yard touchdown reception in overtime to help the Longhorns secure a win over Arizona State in the Peach Bowl.
What are his best traits?
“I would say my route running and the catch point, being able to attack the ball, wherever the ball is,” Golden said earlier this month. “Being able to play inside and outside. Being a reliable target, whenever you need that clutch play, I’m going to be there. I can make any play that’s coming toward me, and being on the same page with the quarterback at the right time.”
Over his three seasons between Texas and Houston, Golden totaled 134 catches for 1,975 yards and 22 touchdowns with two kickoff returns for scores. After a strong combine performance, there's been buzz about Golden being the top receiver in the class and a potential top-15 selection.
McShay sees only one receiver landing in the top 20 -- excluding do-it-all athlete Travis Hunter from Colorado -- with Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan, meaning Golden, Missouri's Luther Burden III and Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka are all on the clock. For the offensive line, Banks was off the board in the top 10 at No. 6 with Las Vegas. Missouri's Armand Membou fell outside the top 10 and landed at No. 13 with Miami. As for Zabel, he lands with the offensive-needy Seattle Seahawks in the trenches.
While there's three options on the board for the offensive line, Houston might not find a receiver built like Golden. Adding the former Longhorns would provide Houston stability in the passing game.
Stroud needs protection, but he also needs weapons. Adding a target with the potential to be one of the better secondary targets in the spot could do wonders for Houston's offense under new play-caller Nick Caley long-term.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans land Texas WR Matthew Golden in McShay's final 2025 mock draft
Continue reading...
Knowing that, that means that general manager Nick Caserio will pivot to adding a wide receiver before the end of Round 1.
That's why The Ringer's Todd McShay has Houston doing when on the clock at No. 25. While the Texans could move up for either Texas All-American offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. or North Dakota State do-it-all offensive lineman Grey Zabel, the asking price might be too steep for a team with multiple offensive holes.
Instead, McShay has the Texans targeting Banks' teammate and Houston native Matthew Golden to pair with Pro Bowl receiver Nico Collins and Christian Kirk in the slot.
Golden has been a fan favorite to join forces with Stroud and Collins, given his relationship with the city and its fan base. He grew up in Klein and played for the hometown Cougars before his transfer to Texas ahead of the 2024 season.
The junior also visited the Texans as a hometown product, so it didn't count against Houston's top-30 visits with prospects ahead of Thursday's draft.
Golden, who last season broke out as the No. 1 threat for the Longhorns' offense, left no doubts of his potential upside at the NFL scouting combine, showing off his explosiveness and pure speed during drills. The 6-foot receiver posted the fastest 40-time among all offensive players at 4.29 and the second-fastest time at the event.
After proving his potential as a No. 2 target, Golden became a household name in the SEC during his lone season in Austin. He caught 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns from quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, averaging 17 yards per reception. Golden also stepped up in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal with his 26-yard touchdown reception in overtime to help the Longhorns secure a win over Arizona State in the Peach Bowl.
What are his best traits?
“I would say my route running and the catch point, being able to attack the ball, wherever the ball is,” Golden said earlier this month. “Being able to play inside and outside. Being a reliable target, whenever you need that clutch play, I’m going to be there. I can make any play that’s coming toward me, and being on the same page with the quarterback at the right time.”
Over his three seasons between Texas and Houston, Golden totaled 134 catches for 1,975 yards and 22 touchdowns with two kickoff returns for scores. After a strong combine performance, there's been buzz about Golden being the top receiver in the class and a potential top-15 selection.
McShay sees only one receiver landing in the top 20 -- excluding do-it-all athlete Travis Hunter from Colorado -- with Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan, meaning Golden, Missouri's Luther Burden III and Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka are all on the clock. For the offensive line, Banks was off the board in the top 10 at No. 6 with Las Vegas. Missouri's Armand Membou fell outside the top 10 and landed at No. 13 with Miami. As for Zabel, he lands with the offensive-needy Seattle Seahawks in the trenches.
While there's three options on the board for the offensive line, Houston might not find a receiver built like Golden. Adding the former Longhorns would provide Houston stability in the passing game.
Stroud needs protection, but he also needs weapons. Adding a target with the potential to be one of the better secondary targets in the spot could do wonders for Houston's offense under new play-caller Nick Caley long-term.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans land Texas WR Matthew Golden in McShay's final 2025 mock draft
Continue reading...
