After so many years, the Green Bay Packers decided to take a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL draft. In the 2025 edition of the draft, Green Bay used its No. 23 pick overall on wide receiver Matthew Golden, a product of the Texas Longhorns football program.
With that pick, the Packers finally put a stop to their 23-year streak of not using a first-round pick on a wideout.
Golden showcased some of his capabilities on the field during the Packers’ rookie minicamp over the weekend, with the team sharing photos of the former Longhorn.
View this post on Instagram
Many fans were also quick to notice that Golden was sporting an unusual number for a wide receiver, as Golden wore the No. 22.
“22 as a WR is heinous”
“yall trim 22 lowk tuff😂😂”
“Number definitely temporary 😂”
“I kinda fw 22”
“Leave it to the packers to give a WR #22😂😂”
“strange number choice but ayy 🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️”
Green Bay Packers’ Golden an exciting new weapon for Jordan Love-led attack
Golden projects to have a prominent role in the Packers’ offense in 2025. With Christian Watson not expected to be ready for the start of the 2025 campaign due to a serious knee injury, the speedy Golden can be the downfield threat that can get the Packers big gains.
That’s music to the ears of Green Bay fans, whose team was second in the league in 2024 with an average of 12.8 yards per catch.
“You want to make sure that you’re giving Matt [LaFleur] the flexibility to attack all different levels of the field, and I think a guy like Golden does that,” Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan said recently (h/t Rob Demovsky of ESPN). “He’s [got] speed, he can get vertical, he can beat you underneath, and he’s got tremendous ball skills and hands. So it’s just another weapon, and I think he fits really nice in the room with guys that we already have.”
In 16 games with the Longhorns in 2024, Golden had 987 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 58 catches.
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
For More NFL and College Football News & Updates:
Follow me on X (formerly Twitter) at @Rexwell14. Also, do not forget to regularly check out the latest Gridiron Heroics content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in the world of NFL and college football in terms of transactions, analysis, game previews, free agency, recruitment, transfers, and more, just click here!
