Forbes2025 NFL Draft Has Value Despite Being \u2018Weak\u2019 In Top-End TalentBy Kambui Bomani<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cI think because of the high school football and the way they throw it around, the 7-on-7s, and just some of the things have changed on the lower levels, guys are coming in and making an impact quicker and I certainly think Matthew has the opportunity to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The biggest thing that gives Golden a chance to shine is his blazing speed. Golden ran the 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds at this year\u2019s NFL Combine, fastest among all the wideouts.<\/p>\n
While Golden is just 5-foot-11, 191 pounds, speed certainly kills. And the Packers suddenly have a burner that they desperately needed in their wide receiver room.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s going to be a speed threat right away,\u201d Gutekunst said. \u201cHe is one of those guys that covering him from a man perspective is going to be extremely tough on teams. So when we get to some of those third-down things where people are trying to mug us up and we need somebody to get open fast, he can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Golden spent two years at Houston, where he caught 38 passes each season. He then transferred to Texas where he had 58 receptions, nine TDs and averaged 17.0 yards per catch for a Longhorns team that reached the College Football Playoff Final 4.<\/p>\n
From the midway point of the season, Golden became the biggest playmaker on the Longhorns\u2019 dynamic offense.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce they kinda realized what they had, then it just kind of took off,\u201d Gutekunst said of Golden\u2019s production.<\/p>\n
The biggest question is Golden\u2019s size.<\/p>\n
Gutekunst said that 5-foot-11 is the Packers\u2019 \u2018Mendoza line\u2019 for wide receivers \u2014 meaning that\u2019s the shortest they can be. While Golden is undersized, though, Green Bay believes he can play both outside and in the slot thanks to his other physical gifts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely understand the game so well to where I can tempo my routes so where I don’t have to run full speed and I just know where my breaking points need to be, wherever the defender is,\u201d Golden said. \u201cI got a lot in my game. I could play inside, play out. I could also take the top off, so whatever the team needs me to do, I’m definitely that guy they need to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Xavier Worthy, the 28th pick in the 2024 draft, is another former Texas wideout with traits similar to Golden.<\/p>\n
Worthy is also 5-foot-11, but just 165 pounds. Worthy ran the 40-yard dash in 4.21 seconds, a touch faster than Golden.<\/p>\n
Many wondered how the Chiefs would use Worthy, who like Golden, doesn\u2019t have prototypical size. Well, Kansas City coach Andy Reid moved Worthy around the chess board, and the dynamic rookie finished last season with 59 catches for 638 yards, six receiving touchdowns and three more rushing touchdowns.<\/p>\n
Now, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur will need to find similar ways to take advantage of Golden\u2019s skill set.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will say with the way Matt and his staff are able to kind of be creative and use these guys, that gives me a lot of flexibility with what I\u2019m looking at, too,\u201d Gutekunst said. \u201cThey do such a good job with scheming some of these guys and using them to their best ability. It does make it easier for me so we don\u2019t feel like we have to do this or we have to do that, that Matt and his staff will find a way to make these guys productive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Green Bay\u2019s roster is one of the better ones in football. There\u2019s talent and depth across the board.<\/p>\n
What the Packers needed this weekend was playmakers that can tilt the field.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia, Detroit, Washington and others are loaded with Pro Bowlers and difference makers. Green Bay believes it added one to the mix Thursday night, which kept the party at Lambeau Field going late into the night.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never felt nothing like it,\u201d Golden said of walking across the stage in front of his now home town fans. \u201cMan, I wish I could go right back out there right now. It was so cool, the energy that the Packers\u2019 fans got. I mean, I could just feel it and I\u2019m just so excited to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n
So was Packer Nation, on a night where the green and gold became green and Golden.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, center, poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Packers … More president Mark…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":115715,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2072],"tags":[7,41,345,2514,2513,5514,701,6,428,1902],"class_list":{"0":"post-115714","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-green-bay-packers","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-green-bay","10":"tag-green-bay-packers","11":"tag-greenbay","12":"tag-greenbaypackers","13":"tag-mark-murphy","14":"tag-matthew-golden","15":"tag-nfl","16":"tag-packers","17":"tag-roger-goodell"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114652718421134239","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115714"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115714\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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