Matthew Golden, Green Bay Packers, Round 1, Pick 23
The Green Bay Packers drafted Matthew Golden with the 23rd pick of Round 1.
Fantasy Football Impact for Matthew Golden on the Green Bay Packers
Matthew Golden, the fastest wide receiver at this year's Combine, should start practicing his Lambeau Leap. In front of an exuberant crowd in Green Bay, Golden became the first wide receiver selected by the Packers in the first round since 2002.
Last season, Golden had 58 receptions for 987 yards for an average of 17.0 yards per reception, third most in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) among wide receivers with at least 50 receptions. He torched Georgia for 162 yards on eight receptions in the 2025 SEC Championship Game, his best performance of the season. After a quiet game against Clemson in the first round of the College Football Playoff, Golden again exploded for 149 yards on seven receptions. Golden averaged 22.0 yards per catch over his last five games. He finished his three-year collegiate career with 134 receptions for 1,975 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Matthew Golden is a big play waiting to happen. At the Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds with a 10-yard split of 1.49 seconds, both faster than any other wide receiver tested there. His speed makes him a dangerous deep threat who can easily take the top off a defense. At the same time, his lateral agility enables him to gain separation against defenders, particularly when he is put in motion before the snap.
He is physical at the catch point, but his smaller frame and bulk can limit his ability to win contested targets. Stronger defenders in man-to-man coverage will be able to jam him at the line of scrimmage or knock him off routes. He will be best utilized on intermediate and deep routes when the defense allows him to run freely. Golden can also be a weapon on special teams; he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in college.
He is precisely the kind of deep threat the Packers need, particularly if oft-injured Christian Watson misses more playing time this season. With Watson and Romeo Doubs entering contract years, drafting Golden means the Packers will have two top wide receivers (Golden and Jayden Reed) under contract through at least 2026. Golden should line up wide, leaving Reed as the team's primary slot receiver.
The Fantasy Football Fallout
Drafting Matthew Golden may signal a lack of confidence in Watson's ability to return from the ACL tear he sustained on a non-contact play in the last game of the regular season. Wide receivers' return-to-play timeline after such an injury averages 48 weeks from surgery, according to our Adam Hutchinson, who sees a potential midseason return for Watson, accompanied by "a sharp decline in fantasy production."
Golden projects to be a Week 1 starter, which pushes the Packers' other receivers not named Reed or Doubs a spot down the depth chart. Dontayvion Wicks and Bo Melton figured to get more playing time in Watson's absence, but they will now yield that to Golden. As for Mecole Hardman, who signed with the Packers last month to step in for Watson as the team's deep threat, Golden's arrival likely signals a much diminished role, if he maintains one at all.
Golden's ability to stretch the defense should create space for Reed, tight end Tucker Kraft, and the running backs to operate in the short and intermediate areas of the field. He gives Jordan Love a reliable target at all levels of the field.
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Overview
The Green Bay Packers drafted Matthew Golden to be the team's deep threat, with Christian Watson recovering from a knee injury. Golden, who will line up wide, joins slot receiver Jayden Reed to give the Packers a formidable one-two punch that can operate at all levels of the field.
For more information on the 2025 NFL Draft, check out the Footballguys Rookie Draft Guide, where you can read about Matthew Golden, the Green Bay Packers, and other rookie team fits. The post-Draft edition will be released on April 30.
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