The Green Bay Packers have a wide receiver group crowded with youth and talent, but rookie Matthew Golden may just outshine them all.
Mike Clay of ESPN projected on Wednesday, May 21, that Golden will prove himself the second-most productive wideout of the 2025 draft class during his rookie campaign with 889 receiving yards and six touchdowns in his first trip through an NFL schedule.
Clay’s projections for Golden are actually higher than those he set forth for No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter of the Jacksonville Jaguars (884 receiving yards and five TDs) and just behind a prediction for No. 8 overall pick Tetairoa McMillan of the Carolina Panthers (926 yards and five scores).
However, Clay also noted some reason for caution with regards to Golden, as well Jayden Higgins of the Houston Texans and Jack Bech of the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Golden (No. 23), Higgins (No. 34) and Bech (No. 58) all could easily start in Week 1,” Clay wrote. “But the outlook for receivers selected after pick No. 20 through the third round is unspectacular. Since 2011, there are 148 receivers who fit that bill and played at least one snap as a rookie. Only 24 of them (16.2%) reached 800 receiving yards, and 24 (16.2%) caught at least seven touchdowns. This is something to keep in mind when considering the upside of all the Rounds 1 and 2 wide receivers.”
Packers Primed to Part Ways With Top Wideout in Offseason
Golden could end up being a major player for the Packers come Week 1 for more reasons than just his overall talent.
Both Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs — receivers who Green Bay selected in the second and fourth rounds of the 2022 draft, respectively — could end up on the trade block before the regular season opens in early September.
However, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report took it a step further on May 16 when he predicted Green Bay might cut Doubs before the summer is out.
The Green Bay Packers are highly likely to part with one of their young veteran receivers after using two of their first three draft selections on Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, who are both entering a contract year, are the two most logical candidates.
And while one could argue that Doubs has been the more reliable of the two, he’s also set to carry the bigger 2025 cap hit. Watson is coming off a torn ACL and could spend the season on injured reserve anyway, and Green Bay could save $3.4 million in cap space by cutting Doubs.
Packers Looking to Get Over Playoff Hump in Third Year of QB Jordan Love Era
Green Bay has earned playoff berths in each of quarterback Jordan Love’s first two seasons and will look to get over the postseason hump in Year 3.
The Packers won Love’s first playoff start, annihilating the Dallas Cowboys on the road. They probably could have won a second, but let the Divisional Round matchup against the San Francisco 49ers in January 2024 slip away late. The Niners went on to win the NFC and narrowly lost in the Super Bowl.
Green Bay also fell to the eventual NFC champion (and Super Bowl champion) Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the postseason in January 2025.
Several draft analysts believe Golden is the most talented receiver in the 2025 class, so it is fortunate for the Packers that he fell to pick No. 23. That said, if the franchise hopes to truly contend for a title, Golden may need to be a legitimate No. 1 option in the pass game as a rookie.
