The Green Bay Packers made Texas Longhorns wideout Matthew Golden the No. 23 pick in last month's NFL Draft. It was a special moment in front of the hometown crowd, with Golden walking across the stage to rapturous applause.
This was a long time coming for Green Bay. After refusing to dabble in the first round wide receiver market for years, much to the chagrin of Aaron Rodgers, the Packers finally invested in a premium weapon for new franchise signal-caller Jordan Love.
It's early in the process, and Golden has a long way to go before proving his worth in the pros, but the speedy 21-year-old has already made a strong impression on his most important teammate.
Jordan Love sounds awfully excited about sharing the filed with Matthew Golden
"Yeah, I mean, he's a great dude," Love told reporters at his recent charity event. "I'm excited to see his potential on the football field. But just the start we've had, he looks like a stud. He looks like a very polished receiver, I'm excited to see just how far he can take it."
Packers fans can't ask for much more.
Green Bay has not selected a wide receiver in the first round of the draft since 2002. Golden was special enough to break a decades-long front office trend. It's just as much an expression of faith in Love, who has earned a historic contract and positioned himself as the long-term foundation of this Packers roster.
Golden comes from a tremendous offensive program at Texas under Steve Sarkisian. In 16 games for the Longhorns last season, Golden notched 58 receptions for 987 yards and an SEC-leading nine touchdowns, averaging 17.0 yards per catch. Despite all the complaints about Quinn Ewers at quarterback, Golden was able to shine consistently as Texas' most potent long-range threat.
He steps into a quietly deep WR room, competing for reps with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks. Golden's arrival could force Brian Gutekunst and the front office into a difficult decision, with Doubs emerging as a popular trade candidate as Green Bay sifts through its options.
The hit rate on rookie wideouts is never 100 percent, even in the first round, but Golden has electrifying athleticism and a solid 6-foot, 195-pound frame. He's making fast friends in camp from the sound of it, and Love is blessed with one of the NFL's most powerful arms. The Packers are unafraid to stretch the field and engineer big plays, so Golden should get opportunities to make his impact felt early and often.
As Green Bay figures out this new-look wide receiver room, Golden looks the part of WR1. He is easily the most important building block for this offense long term (aside from Love). The Packers are stuck in a competitive division, as the Lions and Vikings are set-and-forget postseason teams and Chicago is threatening to make strides with Ben Johnson on the sideline.
Even with a tough schedule, however, the Packers are primed to benefit from Golden's dynamic route-running and explosive open-field athleticism. Don't be shocked if the Packers emerge from the chaos as a legitimate Super Bowl contender — especially if Golden hits.