The Packers made Matthew Golden the first wide receiver chosen by the franchise since 2002 because they believe he has game-altering upside, and at least one top NFL analyst agrees.
Golden, who set the pace in the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine by running it in a blazing 4.29 seconds, giving his draft stock a significant jolt, could have the same impact on the Packers’ offense this fall.
Could Packers’ Matthew Golden be a Top-100 Talent?
It remains to be seen just how quickly Golden will climb the Packers’ depth chart at receiver, or quarterback Jordan Love’s target hierarchy, but there’s a chance that he could at some point this season become Green Bay’s No. 1 receiver. Maybe even open it atop the depth chart.
CBS Sports NFL analyst Josh Edwards lists Golden among the players who could crack Pete Prisco’s top-100 players next spring.
“Packers quarterback Jordan Love has pre-existing relationships,” Edwards writes for CBS. “With Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and other pass-catching outlets, but Golden is the most well-rounded of the bunch. He was drafted to be the primary target in Green Bay’s offense. Head coach Matt LaFleur’s attack creates chaos and gets opposing defenses moving laterally across the field, which should create yards after the catch opportunities for Golden.”
Golden should see plenty of opportunity to make an impact this summer, given Christian Watson continuing to recover from a torn ACL suffered in the regular season finale, back in January, and his speed could create big-play opportunities for Love and LaFleur that could be too enticing not to dial up frequently.
If Golden is able to come close to touching the production from his final season at the University of Texas, catching 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns, he’ll make the Packers look like geniuses for breaking their first-round streak with him and could find himself listed as one of the top players in the league, next summer.
