Matthew Golden might break the Packers WR curse in record time

For more than two decades, the Green Bay Packers famously failed to select a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL draft, a fact Aaron Rodgers never let anybody forget.

Of course, that all changed this past April, as Green Bay used the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Matthew Golden, thus making the Texas standout the first wideout taken by the Packers on Day 1 since they selected Florida State's Javon Walker with the No. 20 overall selection all the way back in 2002.

Naturally, there's always pressure on any first-round pick to perform. But when you're the guy that breaks a 23-year drought, there's a bit more.

Now, nobody can reasonably expect Golden to come in and be one of the top wideouts in the NFL as a rookie. Don't get it twisted; he does have the talent to be one of those guys down the line. For now, though, let's simply have a look at what he needs to do to be better than Walker.

Spoiler alert: It won't take much, at least not right away.

Matthew Golden needs just 320 yards in 2025 to outgain Javon Walker in his rookie season with the Packers

It undoubtedly needs to be noted that Walker was in a much different situation in 2002 than the one Golden will face in 2025.

In '02, the Packers had a pair of established receivers on the roster for Brett Favre to throw to in Donald Driver and veteran Terry Glenn, thus not putting a ton of pressure on Walker. Golden, meanwhile, may very well end up being the top target for Jordan Love.

That's not to disrespect Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Romeo Doubs (if he's not traded, of course), Christian Watson (when he returns), or tight end Tucker Kraft, but that's just the way it is.

Anyway, as a rookie, Walker tallied just 23 catches on 50 targets for 319 yards with one touchdown in 15 regular-season appearances. But he did break out a bit in the Packers' embarrassing 27-7 postseason loss to the Atlanta Falcons, catching five balls for a then-career-high 104 yardsSo, again, Golden, who caught 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns with the Longhorns last year, won't have to do much to match Walker's rookie campaign.

Walker became a bigger part of the Green Bay offense in 2003, notching 41 receptions on 74 targets for 716 yards and nine touchdowns. He also became just the fourth player in NFL history with at least 100 receiving yards in his first two playoff games, going for 111 yards on five catches in the Packers' overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round.

Walker then had a true breakout season in 2004, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl after leading the Packers in targets (144), receptions (89), receiving yards (1,382), and receiving touchdowns (12). So, it's not as if he could be ever be called a genuine bust.

But as Packers fans well know, that's as good as things would get, as he threatened to retire if he wasn't traded after the front office refused to renegotiate his contract following that Pro Bowl campaign.

Walker threatened to hold out of training camp ahead of the 2005 season but didn't. But in the first game of the year, he suffered a season-ending ACL injury, and that was that. Green Bay did finally trade him to the Denver Broncos during the 2006 draft, and he ultimately played four more seasons, two with Denver and two with the then-Oakland Raiders.

In total, Walker caught 157 passes for 2,444 yards and 22 touchdowns in 48 regular-season games over parts of four seasons with the Packers, adding 13 catches for 286 yards in four playoff games with zero scores.

So, if Golden can surpass those figures, which one would expect he will barring some sort of major injury, and not become a headache for the front office, he'll have to be viewed as the better selection.