Pick 23: WR Matthew Golden

[go pak go]

[go pak go]

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 195

POSITIVES

— Great long speed and burst off the ball to create explosive plays down the field.

— Separation creator due to sharp and crisp route running ability.

— Speed modulation to keep defensive backs on their heels.

— Catch point competitiveness with good hand-eye coordination and body control.

NEGATIVES

— Consistency with use of hands in contact window to combat long-limbed physical corners.

— Has battled injuries over the past few seasons, five missed games prior to 2024.

— Cleaning up concentration drops, accounted for 13 over the least three seasons.

— Play strength concerns contribute to struggles sustaining run blocks, after initital contact.

NOTES

— Born Aug. 1, 2003


— 4-Star recruit in 2022 class, per 247Sports

— 30 collegiate starts between Houston & Texas

— 2023: All-Big 12 Football Second Team (KR/PR)

OVERALL

Matthew Golden is an explosive and dynamic receiver with positional flexibility.

Golden makes plays from multiple wide receiver positions, X, slot, & Z. He separates from coverage well with his innate ability to decelerate and accelerate in and out of his breaks. He sells go-routes on the vertical plane well to push the cornerback upfield creating space for him to break downhill and back towards the quarterback. He modulates speeds to Golden is a crisp route runner who separators well at the top of his route. He is a quick mover with sharp plants to pivot in the right direction. Golden can suddenly change directions and lose his man coverage defender. He works the inside leverage well before cutting between the hashes into the middle of the field.

Golden's speed and acceleration will take the top off the defense; generating explosive plays through the air to back safeties off and create lighter defensive fronts against the run. He will take the primary corner and deep safety vertical; essentially freeing up underneath routes for his teammates. His acceleration is outstanding and on display after the catch. Golden can explode past defenders after catching an underneath target in space. He shifts gears quickly in space and can eat up grass for maximum YAC.

In contested catch situations, Golden displays good body control as he elevates in the air to make a play. He is competitive at the catch point and can reel in difficult grabs. Golden's ability to contort his body and maintain control to stay in bounds is impressive.

As a run blocker, Golden leaves a lot to be desired. He struggles to sustain leverage or the block. He lacks the play strength and physicality to operate as a play-side crackback blocker. He is easily shed by defenders and displaced. If aligned in the slot, effective run blocking is important to have in your wheelhouse. Golden's wingspan is functional, but NFL cornerbacks with athleticism and a good wingspan will challenge him at the LOS. His use of hands against press alignment needs work. To maximize his skill set and potential, he must develop more counters against physical corners.

In all, Matthew Golden projects as a WR 2/3 to assume the role of a movement Z receiver. With his speed and explosiveness Golden will be a nice complement to a traditional X-receiver. He will be the quick separator in the offense.

GRADE: 8.0 (Year 1 Starter — Late 1st - Early 2nd)

OVERALL RANK: 18

POSITION RANK: WR2

PRO COMPARISON: Santana Moss

[YoHoChecko]

I've heard Stefon Diggs comps, which seems pretty good.

He's a well-rounded receiver who can be an undersized #1. Not that he's too small; just that he's on the smallest end of an outside #1 kind of guy.

[Labrev]

Let the jet sweeps fly!!

[paco]

Alright alright alright

[lupedafiasco]

Forgot about Santana Moss back in the day. That’s actually a better comp. Diggs has a much better release off the line of scrimmage compared to Golden but that’s not to say that can’t be developed.

[Yoop]

I had Egbuka and Golden rated the opposite of slots taken, think both will be good though, I'am fine with Golden.

[BF004]

Love it!!!

Was my favorite WR in the draft.

Was my target after about 15, was wanting to trade up for him.

Amazing

[texas]

Wouldn't mind if we trade up to get Green, and then pick Golden's teammate Blue, for an all-color top of the draft

[TheSkeptic]

It was a need pick. Watson will not be back until late in the season and Doubs will not last 3 games before the next concussion even if he is not done already. Bo Melton was the only healthy speed receiver and he would need to take a big step to be WR#2.

We can hope for is that Watson returns at 100% in time for the playoffs and Golden replaces Doubs and that Wicks learns to catch the ball rather than drop it. Otherwise it is going to be an interesting season.

Without this pick there would have been one option, start both Kraft and Musgrave with Reed and Heath as WR's and be a short yardage offense.

Now they can start Reed and Golden and occasionally make a D designed to stop the run pay for being too slow.

It would have been nice to use this pick on a CB but the stupid decision to play a hurt Watson in a meaningless game and give him a major injury made using this pick on a WR absolutely necessary.

[musclestang]

Can we just drop the Watson shouldn't have played stuff. That ACL was toast. It snapped just running down the field. You know what WR"s do? Run down the field. It was inevitable. It was already done, we just didn't know it yet. He could just as easily been held out of that game and skipped the last step on the stairs on his way to breakfast the next morning and torn it too. A week off wasn't going to heal it at all, none.

[go pak go]

[go pak go]

Likely looking at our new KR and PR as well.

[go pak go]

BG specifically stated how effective Golden will be vs man coverage. This was our primary weakness last year and teams figured out how to play us down the stretch.

[YoHoChecko]

Likely looking at our new KR and PR as well.

Maaayybe. BG mentioned that’s usually not what you look for in a first round pick

[Yoop]

Love it!!!

Was my favorite WR in the draft.

Was my target after about 15, was wanting to trade up for him.

Amazing

5 O liners, 2 TE's and 2 RB's, and another Ohio St. can't miss WR pushed Golden down to us

[YoHoChecko]

From his interview and the write-ups, it sounds like he has a very good feel and mind for the game--he understands it and has a good sense of the artistry of routes.

He explained that his speed may not have appeared on the field as much because he's tempo-ing his routes so he only is moving at top speed when he needs to, and his route running and quick movement skills are pros in the write-ups, so that tracks.

[Yoop]

Likely looking at our new KR and PR as well.

Maaayybe. BG mentioned that’s usually not what you look for in a first round pick

I doubt we use Golden in that role unless it's an emergency, the main players doing it are hurt, and it's a PO game. Otherwise, it's high risk with almost assuredly minimal reward, and Golden will be too valuable a loss for the offense.

[Yoop]

From his interview and the write-ups, it sounds like he has a very good feel and mind for the game--he understands it and has a good sense of the artistry of routes.

He explained that his speed may not have appeared on the field as much because he's tempo-ing his routes so he only is moving at top speed when he needs to, and his route running and quick movement skills are pros in the write-ups, so that tracks.

always felt that was the case. Some said he plays slower than timed speed, but the vids I saw impressed me that he was setting up defenders so he could gain separation at the pitch or break points of the routes, I think Golden will be a great fit for us, we may lose Watson, if not just imagine having two 4.3 receivers

[Drj820]

Likely looking at our new KR and PR as well.

Yuck