NFL Draft expert Todd McShay broke down the Green Bay Packers’ draft class. In Part 1, it’s his look at Texas receiver Matthew Golden.
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Last season, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love ranked fifth in the NFL with 69 passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield. He almost certainly would have finished first had he not missed about three games due to injuries.
There wasn’t enough bang for the buck, though. Love ranked 18th in completion percentage on those deep shots, according to Pro Football Focus.
Enter Matthew Golden, the Packers’ first-round pick and the fastest offensive player in this year’s draft.
“It’s been kind of the running joke in the league about, ‘The Packers will never draft one in the first round,’” Todd McShay, the former NFL Draft expert and publisher of The McShay Report, told Packers On SI. “I think you got a really good one.”
Green Bay’s offense had counted on four young receivers the past two years. Jayden Reed led the team during that span in receptions (119), receiving yards (1,650) and receiving touchdowns (14) and was second in yards per target (9.8). He’s been good but hasn’t been able to consistently carry the load and mostly vanished down the stretch last season.
“I loved Jayden Reed coming out. I think I had him like the 32nd player in that draft class and I knew he wasn’t going to go that early,” McShay said. “Obviously, there’s been some drops here and there, but I really like him as a player, and I like the talent that’s been there. They had four different receivers that had between 70 and 76 targets. So, there’s been depth and there’s been players that you kind of hope were going to break out and then there’s been some injuries.”
The one key injury to that group was Christian Watson’s torn ACL, which is expected to keep him out for about half the season. He’s the team’s premier deep threat. Golden has the speed to take that role. While Golden is more than just a speed receiver, that speed was desperately needed given Love’s aggressive nature and coach Matt LaFleur’s desire to create big plays.
“I think what Matt LaFleur and (Brian) Gutekunst and that organization realized that we’ve got a special talent at quarterback and we need more speed,” McShay said. “One of his special traits is the ability to drive the ball down the field, and they missed out on some opportunities.”
In making Golden the team’s first first-round receiver since 2002, the Packers selected the fastest receiver in the NFL Draft. But Golden is more than just a downfield threat. He’s a sharp route-runner with excellent hands, which is why he was McShay’s No. 1 receiver even though he started the season as Texas’ No. 2. As the season progressed, Golden earned the trust to become the go-to player.
“It was supposed to be Isaiah Bond’s year,” McShay said. “And they got to a point where they couldn’t help but make him the guy. And the way he showed up in moments, right? The biggest games, even in the loss to Georgia and when they needed it against Arizona State, he just always delivered.
“The question on him was speed. I don’t know how anyone who watched tape can say that. He tempos his routes, and so it can look at times like he’s not moving fast but it’s actually more like savvy and being crafty. His ability to break off a route in a flash without gearing down is a special trait. His ability to adjust to the football last second is a special trait.”
Even though he’s only a modest 5-foot-11, Golden caught 11-of-18 passes in contested-catch situations, a 61.1 percent success rate, according to PFF. Plus, he caught 13-of-22 deep passes, good for 59.1 percent. Those are playmaker numbers that could help the offense take a big step, even during his rookie season.
“Watching the Packers, I feel like there’s a lot of plays left on the field in that last split-second when the ball’s in the air,” McShay said. “I think he’s going to be a guy that helps rectify that.
“And the 4.29 speed will help working the ball down the field, taking advantage of Jordan Love’s arm. If you were going to pull the trigger finally on a receiver in the first round, it wouldn’t appear to be the class to do it, but I think he’s the right guy to do it. I think he can become, with Jayden Reed, the top two targets and then everyone else can settle into roles.”