The Green Bay Packers may have just unlocked their next superstar. Rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden, drafted 23rd overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, is walking into the league with the swagger of a seasoned veteran and without an ounce of the pressure that usually crushes first-round picks.
Golden is the Packers’ first first-round receiver since Javon Walker in 2002, a fact that alone placed him under a magnifying glass. But if you ask him, he isn’t fazed.
“I just feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life to get in the position I’m in right now,” Golden said this week. “At the end of the day, it’s still football. It’s the sport I’ve been playing since I was a kid. That’s just how I treat it.”
The Packers’ receiving corps last season was talented but inconsistent, plagued by drops and lacking a true WR1 presence. Enter Golden, whose blazing speed and fearless mentality are already changing the mood in Green Bay.
Quarterback Jordan Love, fresh off a breakout campaign, has been impressed with his new weapon. “He’s come in, he’s made a name for himself and he’s making some good plays every day,” Love said.
Golden’s resume speaks volumes. At Texas, he racked up 987 yards and nine touchdowns in his final college season. But it was his 4.29-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine the fastest among wide receivers that turned heads and hinted at game-breaking potential.
Coaches and teammates say Golden is more than just speed. His body control, route running, and soft hands give him the tools to become the Packers’ first true dominant receiver since Davante Adams departed.
Receiver Jayden Reed praised the rookie’s rapid progress. “The way he’s learned the playbook, just the skill set he has, he’s going to be a dominant player in this league. If he continues to lock in … he’s going to be very dominant.”
That mix of confidence and humility is exactly what head coach Matt LaFleur wants in a young player. The Packers offense is designed to create mismatches, and Golden’s skill set fits perfectly into a system that thrives on speed and precision.
Golden will make his long-awaited NFL debut this Sunday against the Detroit Lions, a divisional rival with playoff aspirations of their own. For Packers fans, all eyes will be on whether Golden’s electric college form translates under the bright lights of the pros.
If he delivers, he could tilt the balance of power in the NFC North and silence skeptics who wondered if Green Bay made the right move by finally drafting a receiver in the first round.
For now, Golden isn’t weighed down by the expectations of being a franchise cornerstone. Instead, he’s focused on the game he’s been playing since childhood. That calm confidence might be his biggest weapon of all.
If Matthew Golden lives up to even half the hype, the NFL better prepare for a storm in Green Bay — one that’s just getting started.
