More than 250 players were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. Here is the best one for each team, including a perhaps-obvious pick for the Green Bay Packers.
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Who will be the Green Bay Packers’ best rookie? That question provided an obvious answer.
In a prediction for the top rookie for each team, Sports Illustrated’s Daniel Flick selected first-round pick Matthew Golden for the Packers.
“The Packers broke a 23-year drought of not drafting a receiver by taking Golden at No. 23 overall,” Flick wrote. “He should get every chance to prove Green Bay correct in its faith.”
With Christian Watson’s torn ACL, there is a clear path to playing time for Golden. The same can’t be said for the team’s other draft picks.
Second-round pick Anthony Belton might start at right guard, but he’ll be learning a new position and new footwork after playing left tackle at North Carolina State. Third-round pick Savion Williams should at least get some schemed touches, but his game probably lacks the polish to get anything more than a tailored role as a rookie.
Neither of the Day 3 defensive ends, fourth-rounder Barryn Sorrell or fifth-rounder Collin Oliver, are expected to be immediate starters at a veteran position group. The final three picks, defensive tackle Warren Brinson in the sixth round and cornerback Micah Robinson and offensive lineman John Williams in the seventh round, aren’t locks to make the roster, let alone play significant snaps.
As for Golden, he’s got a skill the Packers’ other healthy receivers lack: speed. When Watson was injured down the stretch, the passing game went into a funk due in part to the team’s lack of a field-stretching threat.
“Like him. Like him. Looks fast. Yeah,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said with a sly smile. “We’ll see. Once we get out there, obviously, OTAs, you’ll get a feel for him, but I’m really excited to see how we progress through training camp and all that stuff (and) the plays he’s going to make. I’m fired up about it.”
After two solid seasons at Houston, Golden transferred to Texas for his final season. He emerged as the team’s go-to receiver because he earned the trust of the coaches and quarterbacks.
“He’s a down-to-earth, hardworking, blue-collar type of kid who comes from humble beginnings,” Texas receiver coach Chris Jackson, a former Packers receiver, told Packers On SI.
“So, to me, it’s the fact when he came here, he wasn’t living off of press clips or what the expectations were, what he did successfully at Houston. He was a kid that came here that wanted to start fresh and earn what was given to him. So, I think that’s the same mentality that he’s going to take to Green Bay and the NFL.”
With elite speed, it’s not a surprise that Golden was one of the nation’s best long-ball receivers, catching 13-of-22 passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield, according to Pro Football Focus. At only 5-foot-11, it is a surprise that he was so effective in contested-catch situations, grabbing 11-of-18. He dropped four passes (6.5 percent).
“I’m ready. I’m ready,” Golden said of his first conversation with Jordan Love. “I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life. I’m going to be present, but I’m going to let my presence be known and I’m going to come in here and compete.”
After last year’s hyped group of young receivers underperformed, there is an opportunity for Golden to do what he did at Texas and emerge as the go-to receiver the Packers have lacked since trading Davante Adams.
“Golden burned a 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and he’s a loose mover with the route nuance to create separation,” Flick concluded. “The Packers have a healthy number of receivers but no true star. Golden could emerge as that piece – soon.”
Seven receivers made Flick’s list, including Bears second-round pick Luther Burden. Offensive linemen were the selections for the Lions and Vikings.
“With his speed, suddenness and run-after-catch potential, Burden had a chance to be a first-round pick,” Flick said. “He fell, Chicago capitalized and both sides are now poised to benefit.”