After a statistically underwhelming rookie season — but a highlight-reel touchdown catch-and-run in the playoffs — the 2025 first-round draft pick is ready for his closeup in Year 2

GREEN BAY — Randall Cobb caught just 25 passes as a rookie in 2011. In 2007, James Jones caught 47. And then Jayden Reed came along in 2023 and set the Green Bay Packers franchise record for most receptions by a rookie, with 64.

But all three of them agree on one thing: Matthew Golden — he of the 29 receptions for 361 yards and zero touchdowns on 44 targets as the team’s rookie first-round draft pick a year ago — is ready to break out in Year 2 after a statistically disappointing first season.

And all three of them point to what Golden did in the Packers’ season-ending playoff loss to the Chicago Bears — four receptions for 84 yards, including a clutch 23-yard fourth-quarter catch-and-run touchdown — as proof that his limited production as a rookie was a function of circumstance and nothing more.

“When you’re playing in an offense like this, you need multiple guys that can make plays. Yes, he was a first-round pick and, yes, the expectations were probably really high. But I think his ceiling is really high,” Cobb explained. “To see him end the season the way that he did in Chicago, I was so proud of that moment and for him to have the opportunity.

“I think that’s something to build on and it’s something to realize that he has the capability and he’ll probably have more opportunity now with less guys in the room.”

Added Jones: “Oh my goodness, I mean, you want to talk about lightning? He’s got way more than I had. That’s just being honest. Way more juice, way more moves. I may have had the ability to go get the ball a little bit more, but the dude’s going to be a superstar.

“When I was a rookie, yeah, I had 47 catches, I was out there with Brett Favre, but my head was spinning. I was making a couple plays, but for [Golden], I just think it’s all about finding ways to get him in a groove. He’s got everything you want in a wide receiver.”

Indeed, the Packers are counting on Golden to emerge after they allowed Romeo Doubs to leave for the New England Patriots in free agency and traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles for a pair of draft picks.

Those departures mean Christian Watson, Reed and Golden are the Packers’ clear-cut top three at receiver, and it’s time for Golden to deliver.

“It’s going to be a huge jump for ‘MG,’ man,” said Reed, who missed most of the season with a fractured collarbone suffered in Week 2. “You can tell the game is slowing down for him. He’s learned to play much better. You can tell he’s just more comfortable out there.

“I can speak from my point of view. Me going into Year 2, it was way more smooth — just even knowing the playbook. So, he’s gaining that confidence. And he’s going to be dangerous for this offense.”

Much like Cobb, who joined an offense that already had Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson and Jones at receiver, nagging early-season injuries and a depth-chart logjam in front of him slowed Golden’s growth.

Still, by his own admission, Golden felt his less-than-completely grasp of the playbook led to him playing too slowly for much of the year, and while quarterback Jordan Love praised his improved precision in his route-running down the stretch, adjacent to that compliment was an unspoken idea that Golden’s routes weren’t sufficiently detailed early in the year.

Even so, general manager Brian Gutekunst, who ended a 23-year drought for the Packers picking a wide receiver in the first round, would have liked to see Golden get more meaningful playing time.

“I thought Matthew did a great job,” said Gutekunst, who made Golden the Packers’ first first-round receiver since Javon Walker in 2002. “I would have loved to have seen him get more opportunities through the year. It didn’t work out that way. But when he did, he performed, and he performed at a high level.

“I’m really excited to see where he goes in Year 2. Obviously he was a third-year player coming out of college – one year at Texas, two years at Houston. So I think his ceiling is very, very high. We’re very, very excited about what he’s going to do for our football team moving forward.”

For his part, Golden spoke at length about how much better his understanding is of the offensive playbook and how he believes he is poised to be far more productive as a result.

Which is a good thing for the Packers, because they need him to be.

“I would say [my rookie year] happened exactly how it was supposed to. I feel like it developed me and a mindset to just have a chip on my shoulder, just how to go about things,” Golden said. “I wouldn’t change anything that happened last year. I feel like for this year, it’s a part of the plan, man. And I’m excited.

“That’s just scratching the surface of what I can do. I know there’s a lot in there. I know it. I’m excited for the opportunities that are going to come this year and I’m going to make the most of it.”

About our “Most Important Packers of 2026” Series:  When the Packers kick off their eighth training camp under head coach Matt LaFleur on July 29, they’ll do so with a host of players facing pivotal seasons. LaFleur clearly believes he has ample talent to be a Super Bowl contender — and felt that way about last year’s team until an avalanche of injuries to key players ultimately took its toll — but turning that belief into reality will require a host of players to elevate their games (and stay healthy).

This series, which began in 2010 on ESPNWisconsin.com, examines each of those players and how the team’s success hinges on their contributions. It factors in not only their individual importance but also the innate importance of the position and the depth the team has — or lacks — at the position they play. The list is compiled with input from team observers, former players and NFL sources.

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