One thing about Texas wide receivers: They’re going to show out at the NFL Combine. Last year it was Xavier Worthy, who blew past everyone with a record-setting 4.21 40-yard dash time. Now it’s Matthew Golden's turn.
And his lighting speed should have the Washington Commanders’ attention, as they look to add talent to a wide receiver room in which nearly everybody not named Terry McLaurin will be a free agent this spring. The good news is that this draft class appears to offer a ton of young players with a lot of upside and potential. One of those players should be Golden, currently listed as the No. 5 receiver in the NFL Draft on ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s latest big board.
Golden's unofficial 40 yard time of 4.30 should absolutely ignite his draft stock and put him in contention of being one of the first receivers taken. NFL Draft Buzz is predicting Golden to be a mid-first round pick, meaning Washington could need to get proactive to land its target.
As the Commanders look to revamp receiver room, Matthew Golden should spark interest from front office
Golden was much more than a burner for the Longhorns last season, showing some real route-running chops while blossoming into Quinn Ewers' go-to target in lieu of Isaiah Bond down the stretch. He caught 58 passes for 987 yards and nine scores in 2024, including a combined 311 against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and Arizona State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
With that blend of fluidity and explosiveness, it's not hard to envision Golden as something like rookie standout Ladd McConkey, who had similar measurements coming out of college and cracked the 1,000-yard mark with the Los Angeles Chargers this year. That would make him the perfect intermediate complement to McLaurin, and ensure that, if Tee Higgins in fact doesn't become a free agent, the Commanders don’t have to overspend on a plan B.
The Commanders have a lot of options when it comes to addressing their receiver room. When it comes to Golden, he should be high on their list. He’s a quick receiver that can be productive and have some big play ability.