Pick 23: WR Matthew Golden

[Foosball]

In past drafts, the packers have had their eyes on wide receivers only to have them taken before their pick. This year one fell in their lap and they snagged him. As stated in another post, the Packers needed more playmakers to compete with Detroit.

Golden is quick in and out of his breaks. Love will be able to hit him time after time. Then there is his double move. Bingo.

I never liked the Watson pick. A speedster that has problems tracking the long ball. He had the highest drop rate in college. No one else drafted even came close.

Doubs has had 2 concussions and is a little bit of a head case (no pun intended). I don’t think they’re planning on resigning him.

Dontavion Whiffs….speaks for itself. I’m hoping this draft wakes him up and he improves and has a great year in 2025.

Jayden Reed is a stud.

So Gutey picked up a couple promising wrs that should be able to improve their offense and compete for a SB.

[YoHoChecko]

Seems like Golden leaves a lot of YAC on the field by leaving his feet for deep catches when he doesn't need to. Hopefully they clean that up.

[Drj820]

Wicks is the guy in the room already who can actually change our offense if he learns to catch. If he gets serious and takes a leap, along with the new additions, the wr room can be excellent.

Wicks kind of the WC.

[YoHoChecko]

Wicks is the guy in the room already who can actually change our offense if he learns to catch. If he gets serious and takes a leap, along with the new additions, the wr room can be excellent.

Wicks kind of the WC.

Yeah the way I see it is Golden is the guy to take over for Doubs but with better deep speed. Reed is our slot. Williams can take Watson's gadget/deep shot plays. And Wicks just needs to... improve.

He can separate like a champ. Just need to see if he takes the Davante path (drop-filled sophomore slump followed by putting it all together) or just... stagnates.

[Drj820]

Wicks is the guy in the room already who can actually change our offense if he learns to catch. If he gets serious and takes a leap, along with the new additions, the wr room can be excellent.

Wicks kind of the WC.

Yeah the way I see it is Golden is the guy to take over for Doubs but with better deep speed. Reed is our slot. Williams can take Watson's gadget/deep shot plays. And Wicks just needs to... improve.

He can separate like a champ. Just need to see if he takes the Davante path (drop-filled sophomore slump followed by putting it all together) or just... stagnates.

Ya I like doubs a lot. But he seems near his ceiling to me. Just a good/decent wr who you love to be your 3, but will never be your 1 unless you want to suck. Watson is a one trick pony who is still not polished enough for the whole route tree even when healthy, and if he ever does develop the tree, it will be beyond his rookie deal.

Heath, melton are bottom of the roster guys who aren’t a total liability, that’s if you have a roster spot available.

The factors that turn this wr room into mid to dangerous are def Golden being worthy of pick 23, Wicks reaching his ceiling which is very high, Doubs being who he is (solid for wr3), and Savion giving us a few wow plays a game

But it’s really about 2 players this year

[YoHoChecko]

I'm not entirely sure what Golden is or will be. I'm kinda medium on him. I don't dislike him. But I sure don't think we solved the "who's our #1 receiver" question with him, in the near or even the long term. Open to being wrong, though. He has traits and hands.

fwiw, it's been reported that the Packers tried to trade Doubs to the Seahawks as part of a DK package. So I wouldn't be TOTALLY surprised if he's moved or released just because he seems unhappy with his role. I know that thins us out, but I think we can absorb that if that's what happens. Part of that will likely be how Golden seems to adjust to the NFL in the offseason

[Pckfn23]

I'm not entirely sure what Golden is or will be. I'm kinda medium on him. I don't dislike him. But I sure don't think we solved the "who's our #1 receiver" question with him, in the near or even the long term. Open to being wrong, though. He has traits and hands.

Is the only reason why you're on this fence is his height/weight?

[YoHoChecko]

I'm not entirely sure what Golden is or will be. I'm kinda medium on him. I don't dislike him. But I sure don't think we solved the "who's our #1 receiver" question with him, in the near or even the long term. Open to being wrong, though. He has traits and hands.

Is the only reason why you're on this fence is his height/weight?

No. I just don't see special movement skills or traits out of him. I know the testing and I see deep separation, but a ton of his intermediate catches are in really tight quarters--less separation than I'd want from a top guy, especially a smaller one. I can tell he knows and loves ball, and he can vary his speeds, so I'm surprised he doesn't have that late-route separation that the best route runners tend to have. He can probably improve that. It's less that I see weaknesses than I just don't see that special about him. I mean he can track and catch. That's awesome. I'm not down on him. I just don't know how much more he'll give us. He doesn't excite me.

I think a lot of it is that he doesn't feel like a natural ball carrier. He falls after a lot of catches. He only sometimes makes that first guy miss. If he doesn't outrun you, he gets tackled.

[Pckfn23]

I'm not entirely sure what Golden is or will be. I'm kinda medium on him. I don't dislike him. But I sure don't think we solved the "who's our #1 receiver" question with him, in the near or even the long term. Open to being wrong, though. He has traits and hands.

Is the only reason why you're on this fence is his height/weight?

No. I just don't see special movement skills or traits out of him. I know the testing and I see deep separation, but a ton of his intermediate catches are in really tight quarters--less separation than I'd want from a top guy, especially a smaller one. I can tell he knows and loves ball, and he can vary his speeds, so I'm surprised he doesn't have that late-route separation that the best route runners tend to have. He can probably improve that. It's less that I see weaknesses than I just don't see that special about him. I mean he can track and catch. That's awesome. I'm not down on him. I just don't know how much more he'll give us. He doesn't excite me.

I think a lot of it is that he doesn't feel like a natural ball carrier. He falls after a lot of catches. He only sometimes makes that first guy miss. If he doesn't outrun you, he gets tackled.

I think you're just trying to talk yourself out of him to avoid getting hurt!

[lupedafiasco]

I think Golden is a really good WR2 or a bottom tier WR1. Speed is his best trait. He’s definitely fast but idk about the combine time he ran. The two things most disappointing about him is his release when jammed which is a work in progress. The other is how in elusive he is. I would really like to see him make more guys miss. His YaC is from him just running away from people. He’s not very good in screen situations and the underneath stuff. I wish he was a bit more of a playmaker with the ball in his hands. This is usually something in my opinion that you have or you don’t by this level.

I will say Ewers sucked getting him the ball. Never seen a speed threat have to come back for the ball so much.

[YoHoChecko]

I think Golden is a really good WR2 or a bottom tier WR1. Speed is his best trait. He’s definitely fast but idk about the combine time he ran. The two things most disappointing about him is his release when jammed which is a work in progress. The other is how in elusive he is. I would really like to see him make more guys miss. His YaC is from him just running away from people. He’s not very good in screen situations and the underneath stuff. I wish he was a bit more of a playmaker with the ball in his hands. This is usually something in my opinion that you have or you don’t by this level.

I will say Ewers sucked getting him the ball. Never seen a speed threat have to come back for the ball so much.

All of this.

I didn't notice it really until he DID make a quick move after the catch and break an ankle. I gasped and realized it was because I hadn't seen it. I watched the same video 23 posted. So many tight windows.

But yes, the QB forced him to adjust to the ball a ton, and he did so very well. And that bodes well for us.

[YoHoChecko]

Who does Golden remind everyone of, play-style and measurably?

[Pckfn23]

I think Golden is a really good WR2 or a bottom tier WR1. Speed is his best trait. He’s definitely fast but idk about the combine time he ran. The two things most disappointing about him is his release when jammed which is a work in progress. The other is how in elusive he is. I would really like to see him make more guys miss. His YaC is from him just running away from people. He’s not very good in screen situations and the underneath stuff. I wish he was a bit more of a playmaker with the ball in his hands. This is usually something in my opinion that you have or you don’t by this level.

I will say Ewers sucked getting him the ball. Never seen a speed threat have to come back for the ball so much.

All of this.

I didn't notice it really until he DID make a quick move after the catch and break an ankle. I gasped and realized it was because I hadn't seen it. I watched the same video 23 posted. So many tight windows.

But yes, the QB forced him to adjust to the ball a ton, and he did so very well. And that bodes well for us.

Gotta square that circle. Are those tight windows mostly on the QB? Separation was a key positive on many scouting reports.

[Pckfn23]

Who does Golden remind everyone of, play-style and measurably?

Faster Greg Jennings.

[YoHoChecko]

Who does Golden remind everyone of, play-style and measurably?

Faster Greg Jennings.

So I had thought of Jennings.

And I think there's some room for like a Terry McLaurin or even a Garrett Wilson. Maybe a Jordan Addison. I'd heard Stefon Diggs. Trying to think of #1 types of similar stature and play style.

But the one thing all those guys have that I don't see is the release package and sometimes a route running sharpness. I think Golden has the capability to develop that. I hope that he does.

Golden may be smoother than sharp and that works just fine, but I have more trouble seeing it (my flaw, not theirs) than I do sharpness. So sometimes I'm underwhelmed by smooth athletes as opposed to more sudden ones. Golden shows that in his comebacks and breaking off routes. I just want to see it more in his releases I think.

[paco]

Who does Golden remind everyone of, play-style and measurably?

Not my comps, but I've seen Santonio Holmes and Santana Moss.

[Labrev]

I see him as a Chris Olave, right now. A guy who is fast, not overly explosive, but remarkably smooth in the way he moves.

I could see him over time becoming like what we had in Greg Jennings as a guy who can be a threat at all levels of the field.

[YoHoChecko]

Who does Golden remind everyone of, play-style and measurably?

Not my comps, but I've seen Santonio Holmes and Santana Moss.

Oh Holmes is an interesting one. Moss is a bit more of a concerning one. Complementary player through and through.

[go pak go]

Who does Golden remind everyone of, play-style and measurably?

Faster Greg Jennings.

GJ was the first person I thought of too when I started watching him in February. He has the feet of Jennings and the versatility of Jennings of beating you outside, over the middle, and making a first down on a quick out. Jennings was better on the deep ball and I don't know if that's on Golden or on his QB.

I also see Donald Driver toughness in him through his tackle breaking and ridiculous mits. Driver was so beloved because he gave all effort all the time resulting in plays made that shouldn't be made.

So he has the "made that look easy" of Jennings and the "how did he do that catch or bust that tackle" with Driver.

[YoHoChecko]

This is helping! I appreciate the comps. I'm just trying to "see it."

My smoothness blind spot is so real. So many of these guys are guys I was lower on than consensus and they turned out well.

As for Driver, he needs to get that patented jump hop to make the first man miss Driver had and I'll be in on that (saw it a couple times, but not often)