- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 431,980
- Reaction score
- 44
The Green Bay Packers snapped a long streak of avoiding wide receivers in the first round of the NFL draft, making the selection of Texas wideout Matthew Golden with the 23rd pick April 24.
Even Packers president Mark Murphy acknowledged that it's been a while — since 2002, with Javon Walker — before announcing the name in Green Bay.
And guess what? It wasn't just Packers fans who loved it. Check out the national media's grades:
From Reuter: "Golden is the first receiver the Packers have picked in Round 1 since the organization selected Javon Walker 20th overall in 2002. Although the big-play threat possesses sub-4.3 speed, he’s not a one-trick pony; he can both take the top off defenses and win with physicality and crisp route-running. Expect him to be a playmaker early in his career."
"I love this pick," Prisco wrote. "The Packers have injury issues at receiver and Golden will help offset those concerns. He can fly. The Packers usually don't pick receivers in the first, but Golden was too good to pass up. He was my second-best receiver after Travis Hunter."
"The Packers needed a talent infusion at that position, however, especially with Christian Watson suffering an ACL tear in January," The Athletic writers wrote. "In Golden, the Packers are getting a field stretcher who can open up the second level for tight ends Tyler Kraft and Luke Musgrave.
"After two seasons at Houston, Golden transferred to Texas, where he put up terrific numbers last fall (58 catches for 987 yards and nine touchdowns). Even more impressive, he averaged 17 yards per catch. His speed separates him from other receiver prospects in this class — at the combine, Golden ran a 4.29-second 40."
From Rang: "Jordan Love's emergence as one of the NFL's better young gunslingers is all the more impressive given that the Packers lack a true No. 1 receiver. Two of his favorite targets — Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson — are both entering the final year of their respective rookie deals and neither possesses Golden's straight-line speed (4.29 40), making the Texas product an ideal deep threat for Love. Golden isn't just fast, he's quick and competitive. I love this selection for the Packers."
"Mark Murphy certainly knows how to send the home crowd into a frenzy," Middlehurst-Schwartz observed. "The Packers president took great amusement in announcing that his team would be selecting a wide receiver in the first round for the first time since 2002. But this was more than a fun moment. Golden fits the bill of what Matt LaFleur had been in search of: a speedy pass catcher who can beat man coverage to create easier looks for Jordan Love. Between LaFleur's creativity as a playcaller and Love's aggressive mentality, he could make a sizable splash right away."
"Green Bay needed a boost of playmaking to their offense and get one of the fastest players in the draft with Matthew Golden," McDonald wrote, comparing Golden to DJ Moore. "Christian Watson had some of this element, but Golden, who was a darling of the College Football Playoff, adds a new dynamic with some elite ball tracking and deep speed."
Seen as a top-tier receiver in this class, Golden should step into his new role as an immediate starter with star-level upside," Verderame wrote. "With the Longhorns, Golden played 16 games last season after spending two years with the Houston Cougars, and caught 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns. At 5'11" and 191 pounds, Golden ran a blazing 4.29 40-time at the combine."
Not everyone is head over heels about the pick, though if a C-plus is the worst grade out there, the Packers will probably take it.
From Kelly: "The former Longhorns star is a twitchy mover who wins at the catch point and makes hay with the ball in his hands. He should be an immediate contributor for the Pack, and I am sure he’ll create some electric plays. But I’m not sure he solves the main problem the team has in its pass-catcher corps: the lack of a true No. 1. Golden profiles as a very good complementary option, but that’s pretty much what Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks are, too. It’s also a red flag that Golden is one of the least productive first-round receivers on record, with zero thousand-yard seasons on his résumé."
"Christian Watson hasn’t quite worked out for the Packers," Sobleski wrote. "The 2022 second-round draft pick has consistently dealt with injuries and just tore his ACL in January. He’s unlikely to give the Packers much during the 2025 season even if he’s medically cleared.
"In Watson's absence, the Packers need someone who can possibly take over as the X-receiver. Texas’ Matthew Golden isn’t a traditional X, but he's arguably the most explosive option in this year’s class with a 4.29-second 40-yard dash.
"You earn trust with consistency and time," Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters in January. "I think there's a level of consistency in Matthew's game that he's earned a lot of trust from myself and (quarterback Quinn Ewers) that, in a lot of critical moments, it's easy to try to find him because you know he's going to be in the right spot. You know he's going to be competitively tough and make those plays."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What are Packers' draft grades for first-round pick Matthew Golden?
Continue reading...
Even Packers president Mark Murphy acknowledged that it's been a while — since 2002, with Javon Walker — before announcing the name in Green Bay.
And guess what? It wasn't just Packers fans who loved it. Check out the national media's grades:
You must be registered for see images
Chad Reuter of NFL.com: A
From Reuter: "Golden is the first receiver the Packers have picked in Round 1 since the organization selected Javon Walker 20th overall in 2002. Although the big-play threat possesses sub-4.3 speed, he’s not a one-trick pony; he can both take the top off defenses and win with physicality and crisp route-running. Expect him to be a playmaker early in his career."
Pete Prisco of CBS: A
"I love this pick," Prisco wrote. "The Packers have injury issues at receiver and Golden will help offset those concerns. He can fly. The Packers usually don't pick receivers in the first, but Golden was too good to pass up. He was my second-best receiver after Travis Hunter."
Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman of The Athletic: A
"The Packers needed a talent infusion at that position, however, especially with Christian Watson suffering an ACL tear in January," The Athletic writers wrote. "In Golden, the Packers are getting a field stretcher who can open up the second level for tight ends Tyler Kraft and Luke Musgrave.
"After two seasons at Houston, Golden transferred to Texas, where he put up terrific numbers last fall (58 catches for 987 yards and nine touchdowns). Even more impressive, he averaged 17 yards per catch. His speed separates him from other receiver prospects in this class — at the combine, Golden ran a 4.29-second 40."
Rob Rang of Fox Sports: A
From Rang: "Jordan Love's emergence as one of the NFL's better young gunslingers is all the more impressive given that the Packers lack a true No. 1 receiver. Two of his favorite targets — Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson — are both entering the final year of their respective rookie deals and neither possesses Golden's straight-line speed (4.29 40), making the Texas product an ideal deep threat for Love. Golden isn't just fast, he's quick and competitive. I love this selection for the Packers."
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY: B-plus
"Mark Murphy certainly knows how to send the home crowd into a frenzy," Middlehurst-Schwartz observed. "The Packers president took great amusement in announcing that his team would be selecting a wide receiver in the first round for the first time since 2002. But this was more than a fun moment. Golden fits the bill of what Matt LaFleur had been in search of: a speedy pass catcher who can beat man coverage to create easier looks for Jordan Love. Between LaFleur's creativity as a playcaller and Love's aggressive mentality, he could make a sizable splash right away."
Charles McDonald of Yahoo! Sports: B
"Green Bay needed a boost of playmaking to their offense and get one of the fastest players in the draft with Matthew Golden," McDonald wrote, comparing Golden to DJ Moore. "Christian Watson had some of this element, but Golden, who was a darling of the College Football Playoff, adds a new dynamic with some elite ball tracking and deep speed."
Gilberto Manzano and Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated: A-minus
Seen as a top-tier receiver in this class, Golden should step into his new role as an immediate starter with star-level upside," Verderame wrote. "With the Longhorns, Golden played 16 games last season after spending two years with the Houston Cougars, and caught 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns. At 5'11" and 191 pounds, Golden ran a blazing 4.29 40-time at the combine."
You must be registered for see images attach
Danny Kelly of The Ringer: C-plus
Not everyone is head over heels about the pick, though if a C-plus is the worst grade out there, the Packers will probably take it.
From Kelly: "The former Longhorns star is a twitchy mover who wins at the catch point and makes hay with the ball in his hands. He should be an immediate contributor for the Pack, and I am sure he’ll create some electric plays. But I’m not sure he solves the main problem the team has in its pass-catcher corps: the lack of a true No. 1. Golden profiles as a very good complementary option, but that’s pretty much what Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks are, too. It’s also a red flag that Golden is one of the least productive first-round receivers on record, with zero thousand-yard seasons on his résumé."
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report: B-plus
"Christian Watson hasn’t quite worked out for the Packers," Sobleski wrote. "The 2022 second-round draft pick has consistently dealt with injuries and just tore his ACL in January. He’s unlikely to give the Packers much during the 2025 season even if he’s medically cleared.
"In Watson's absence, the Packers need someone who can possibly take over as the X-receiver. Texas’ Matthew Golden isn’t a traditional X, but he's arguably the most explosive option in this year’s class with a 4.29-second 40-yard dash.
"You earn trust with consistency and time," Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters in January. "I think there's a level of consistency in Matthew's game that he's earned a lot of trust from myself and (quarterback Quinn Ewers) that, in a lot of critical moments, it's easy to try to find him because you know he's going to be in the right spot. You know he's going to be competitively tough and make those plays."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What are Packers' draft grades for first-round pick Matthew Golden?
Continue reading...
