When the Green Bay Packers decided to finally take a wide receiver in the first round after 23 years, it was clear that they were shifting the focus of the roster-building investment towards making Jordan Love's life easier. To Matt LaFleur, the quarterback had talked about getting his arm loose to throw some bombs to Matthew Golden.
On Friday, though, Love talked openly for the first time about his new target. During his charity softball game in Wisconsin, the quarterback showed reasons for optimism after his first contact with Golden.
"Yeah, I mean, it's a great dude. Excited to see his potential on the football field," Love said. "But just the start we've had, he looks like a stud, looks like a very polished receiver. So, obviously, it's how far he can take."
The part about Golden being polished should excite Packers fans. Over the past few years, a regular complaint is about the lack of immediate production from early-round draft picks—and it's a fair concern.
However, the wide receiver position is different. General manager Brian Gutekunst explained right after the first round that receivers nowadays come to the NFL more ready to contribute from the get go.
"I think the world has changed a little bit, it (used to take) receivers a little bit of time to get going, it used to be like that, and then in Year 2, or middle of Year 3 when things slowed down for them and they could really produce," Gutekunst stressed. "Because of the high school football, the way they throw it around, seven-on-sevens, and some of the things that have changed at the lower levels, guys are coming in and making an impact quicker."
The Packers don't necessarily need Matthew Golden to be a starter or lead the room right away, but getting real production from a rookie would have the potential to elevate the offense's ceiling.
"I certainly think that Matthew has the opportunity to do that," Gutekunst added. "Now, we've got some good players in that room, so he's not gonna have to carry the load that way, but I think he has a chance to contribute. Not only as a receiver, but he's got some special team, return ability as well that can help us."
If Jordan Love and Brian Gutekunst are correct, Packers fans will have real reasons to be happy about what the team did early in the draft, and the results could come soon.
