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No NFL Draft prospect got to experience the first round quite like Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden.
The Texas Longhorns product was among those in the green room behind the stage at Lambeau Field this past week, patiently waiting to hear his name called by his next team. Golden waited long into the night, but the host team did something they had not done since 2002.
Draft a wide receiver.
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Matthew Golden speaks at a press conference after being selected by the Green Bay Packers as the No. 23 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
Packers president Mark Murphy had the Green Bay faithful in a frenzy when he announced Golden as the first wide receiver taken by the franchise in more than two decades, and his reception when he came out of the green room wearing the Packers hat and holding his jersey still does not feel real.
“It still don’t feel real to me, that’s what’s crazy,” he told Fox News Digital, while also discussing his time at the draft with Tide. “Like I said, I’ve been waiting to get my name called since I was six, and the way that it happened for it to be in Green Bay, for it to be the first receiver since 2002, it meant even more to me.
“A lot of history behind it, and just the way it happened, I feel like God made it happen like that for a reason. That’s something that’s going to stick with me forever.”
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Golden had the Packers fans chanting with him before walking off the stage, as love for their new hideout was certainly on full display.
However, Packers fans are also expecting a lot from him because of history. If being a first-rounder was not enough pressure, coming to a team with a fan base desperate for their next top receiver could be.
Golden, though, does not seem to be feeling that pressure.
Wide receiver Matthew Golden, right, embraces NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after the Packers select him with the 23rd pick during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (IMAGN)
“Definitely no pressure, but definitely know I have to come in, I have to compete and have to contribute to this team,” he explained. “That’s something that I got in me, that’s the mentality I have coming in. I’ve got something to prove, and I’m coming in and help us win. Whatever it is the team needs me to do, that’s what I’m here to do.”
It is a crowded wide receivers room in Green Bay, featuring Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, among others. All of them have had their names called one way or another in 2024, but none of them stepped up for Jordan Love as a true top receiver.
That is not always a bad thing, but Packers fans would like their Davante Adams-, Jordy Nelson-, Donald Driver-type wide receiver who can rise above the rest. Whether that is Golden remains to be seen, but a first-round pick carries that kind of weight.
Golden said he has spoken to Watson and Reed already and could not be more excited to make his mark on the Packers – in whatever role that may be.
NFL draft prospect, Matthew Golden of Texas, signs autographs during the NFL Draft Red Carpet event at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Thursday, April 24, 2025. (IMAGN)
“They told me they’re happy to have me here, and it’s time to get to work,” Golden said of his conversations with Watson and Reed. “So, just coming in and play with guys like that, it’s going to be amazing. A lot of weapons, so I’m ready to get in and contribute to the game with them and continue to have fun.”
What Golden immediately brings to the Packers’ offense is more speed, running a sub-4.30 40-yard dash. But he is more than just a one-trick pony in the pass game.
“My route running. I can run any route tree in the book – inside and out,” he said. “Wherever it is, I can line up in the backfield, too. Just understanding the game so well to where I can create separation without running full speed. I understand it so well – a lot of people think that I don’t run fast on the field, but I don’t have to run fast to get open.
“I know coming here to this organization, they’re definitely going to help me a lot with other tools that can help my game. I’m happy to be here, I’m happy to be coached by them, and I’m ready to get to work.”
Texas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden is selected by the Green Bay Packers as the No. 23 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
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Golden is happy and excited about where his NFL journey will begin, and he felt that strong sense of community when he took part in the “Laundry Day Games” with Tide, alongside former NFL lineman Anthony “Spice” Adams.
“It was cool,” Golden said about his work with Tide. “Being with Spice, definitely a funny guy to be around. We played a lot of games, so it was a cool experience for me. I always wanted to be in a commercial video with Tide, and for that to actually happen it was truly amazing for me.”
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