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WR Matthew Golden, GB (2 Viewers)
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pinkstapler
Footballguy
I see less Stef Diggs and more Jordan Addison (which is who Harmon tagged as well as a comp). Maybe Santonio Holmes as an absolute ceiling. Just feels like every year there's a small speedster going in the top 5 or so of rookie WRs and rarely do they ever pan out. While a lot of the excuses for poor Golden metrics are very valid, I feel like we have been assuming best case scenario would have been the result if he had a better college situation.
Since watching more of him and the rest of the class I'll bring attention to the negatives (that were not really impacted by playing on a poor Texas team). He was a third year breakout. He has average hands at best and drops have been a consistent issue for him all three years. He is bad at press coverage, and even with his great speed, seems to have issues running by CBs off the line to win. Not great against man coverage. Poor in contested catches and against physical coverage. Poor at blocking. Goes down early and often against first contact. And despite what some analysts have said, I think he's just an average route runner from what I watched. I think he was good at finding holes against zone defense much more so than causing seperation because of crisp clean routes. Some of this could definitely improve and I'm sure will be focus points of the coaching staff for whoever takes him. But outside of his speed, I just don't see anything he brings to a receiving game that will win at the NFL level day 1.
It just feels like there are more ways for this guy to miss than to hit. He's exactly the type an NFL team will love to take as a way to "open up the offense". IOW, run clear out routes down the field 80% of the time. Will that give him some games of 5 for 110 and a TD, sure. But I think it'll also give him even more of 3 for 35. And so long as he's clearing out and pulling the secondary back to open the middle of the field for the rest of the passing game, a team will be content with that role for him. Meaning at that point, how much time are they going to spend trying to elevate his game and working him into a more prominent role in the offense. If he was going more in the mid to late second of rookie drafts, I'd gladly take a swing. But his draft capital and a class that's weak at the top probably locks him into the first round of rookie drafts and one of the top 3 WRs coming off the board. Too rich for my blood. I still probably have him WR5-6 overall, but have tiered him down a lot lower than Egbuka/Burden/Tet. I think closer to Noel/Harris/Royals.
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King of the Jungle
Footballguy
Hard to get excited about the landing spot and how they seem to be WRBC in GB.
zamboni
Footballguy
Not sure they're committed to WRBC or that's just how it evolved because no one stepped up to be that guy. I don't remember if it was the coaching staff or Love who said right after the season that they needed a go-to WR that they didn't have now. The draft capital, which they haven't used this early since Javon Walker, points to them wanting Golden to be that guy. Whether that will happen remains to be seen because Reed, Doubs and the TEs aren't great, but they're not slouches either. I don't see Watson long for this team after his rookie contract expires.
pinkstapler
Footballguy
Packers are addicted to WR2s.... I was very low on Golden compared to consensus, but even if he was my WR1 I think I'd hate this landing spot. At least be looking at how long some of these other guys are tied to the team, as all 4 seem to have their own crowd of truthers (I'm in the Jayden-stan camp). Oh, and two more than capable tight ends.
JohnnyU
Footballguy
I happen to think it's a great landing spot for him. If he's good enough he will separate himself from everyone else.
oldmanhawkins
Footballguy
I agree. Don't love the player though. I see it as a Watson replacement. They aren't the same player, but the college profiles are eerily similar.
I also expect that Golden can put up better numbers than Watson simply by staying healthy.
MAC_32
Footballguy
The only WR's under contract beyond this season are Reed and Wicks, both of which expire next season. If you were high on Golden, and are questioning whether to slide him down your board, don't. If he's what you think he is then he'll be eating in no time. Me? I have my doubts...
As I joked in the draft thread, they finally spent a #1 on a WR only for him to not be a #1 kind of guy. I don't think Watson, Doubs or Wicks are threats and for whatever reason they didn't utilize Reed as much as he should have been last year. The opportunity is there for him to seize, just not sure he's got the goods to truly be a #1 guy like you talked about in your earlier post. If anything, people were already down on Reed, may be a good opportunity to scoop him up even cheaper to gamble he takes another step forward.
pinkstapler
Footballguy
Already sent out offers for him and Coker in the leagues I don't own them. Never too early to try to capitalize on people's immediate reactions before the common sense sets in hah.
Pipes
Footballguy
Agreed this pick is a HR and I’m shocked at people questioning it. First Watson is out for most of not all the season and Doubs had multiple concussions the 2nd half of last season. He’s a question mark. Wicks regressed last year and Reed had an issue with drops. WR was the Packers biggest need and I don’t think it was close. Absolutely love this pick. Witnessed it live and the crowd reaction was amazing
King of the Jungle
Footballguy
Hard to get excited about the landing spot and how they seem to be WRBC in GB9
My concern is I think Reed is a good receiver, but his usage is so up and down it is hard to tell what they are trying to achieve in their passing game. Maybe that changes this year, but I never understood his stretches of lack of involvement.
Snoopy
Footballguy
Agree that WR was the biggest need, but cornerback is not that far behind.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Just another terrible 1st round pick by Gutey. He pretends to go with BPA but he drafts for need over and over. He’s the opposite of Howie and the Eagles. Really disappointed with this pick.
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
I don't dislike Golden but really wonder whether the home crowd had any influence on the Packers last night. Looking at the players still on the board and the haul Houston and LA both got for trading out of 25 and 26 - it just seems like a perfect situation for a team to trade down and still get a good cb, dl or wr plus a first round pick next year. But with that crowd hyped up and Murphy with his spiel about Green Bay ready to go, there's just no way he could come out there to announce a trade. He would probably have stayed off the stage and done his presentation at their first pick tonight, which is obviously much less climactic for everyone.
Oopty Oop!
Football Jones
Footballguy
I thought Golden would go sooner. From that standpoint, you could say it was a BPA pick, but wasn't WR a need for Green Bay? I'm not a Packers fan, but that seemed to be the theme during the pre-draft process. I'm not sure why people think Golden was a bad pick (other than if they simply don't like him as a prospect).
Aznflyer14
Footballguy
I think this pick is fantastic for Packers offense as whole, which def will give Jordan Love an ideal vertical and speedy threat. Watson is on the mend with torn ACL and wont be rushed to back quickly. Beside, I heard LaFluer wanting to transition to 2 TE offense with Golden taking the defensive attention in deep area and open up more space in the intermediate area. That's the area for their TEs and WRs to thrive.
JohnnyU
Footballguy
I wish I had your crystal ball. My eyes tell me otherwise.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
He just has all the tells of a 1st round bust. Never had a real break out season, his production all came in a few games, shot up like 2 rounds just based on 40 time.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Yup. And he’s not large. Looked tiny in that suit onstage.
Pipes
Footballguy
Many mocks had him going 12 to the Cowboys and Steve Smith said he was the best WR in the draft.
Soulfly3
Footballguy
As I said earlier, Steve and I almost always see eye to eye on players.
On Golden, we do not. If I'm wrong, it's ok because I only have the 3 and 13 pick, so he was never going to be mine anyways... But I do hate being wrong about my scouting
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
Yeah he could be a fantastic pick. I have no opinion whatsoever on that, have never seen him play. I'm just very curious as to whether hosting a draft, especially in a place like Green Bay, affects the decision-making in any respect in terms of trading out of a first round pick in prime time with the team president out there announcing it.
The Longtime Lurker
Footballguy
I was all ready to hear Will Johnson get picked there, but I understand why not. Hard to say if hosting the draft had any affect on the pick, it was definitely an area of need. That said it brought the house down when it was announced and announcing a trade down would have done the opposite. As a fan I'm happy with the pick and can't wait to see what this young man can do in the green and golden.
JohnnyU
Footballguy
Seems more green and yellow to me
The Longtime Lurker
Footballguy
Maybe, but it's always the green and gold. For this thread i like to think of it as green and golden
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Played in 16 games last season and couldn’t even break 1000 yards despite playing with 2 future NFL QBs and his top target competition was a UDFA. Only 2 100 yard games in that 16 game season. 4 100 yard games in his 36 games played in college. I just don’t see significant fantasy value for him.
JohnnyU
Footballguy
Ok, mustard yellowMaybe, but it's always the green and gold. For this thread i like to think of it as green and golden
KingPrawn
Footballguy
Matthew Mustard Yellow?Ok, mustard yellowMaybe, but it's always the green and gold. For this thread i like to think of it as green and golden
Soulfly3
Footballguy
welcome to the seemingly exclusive club.
King of the Jungle
Footballguy
I am souring on him due to his spot. Liked him coming into the draft but only because it was a weaker class and landing spots make a difference when guys are close. He falls behind Hunter, Burden, Higgins, Tet, and Emeka for me.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Yep. I would draft all of those guys ahead of him except maybe Higgins
JohnnyU
Footballguy
Golden will lead this team in targets and receptions in 2025. He is that much better than what they have. Didn't Reed have 10 drops? I know a lot of you are down on Golden because you think he's like a lot of what they already have, but I disagree. I watched a lot of Golden and he will be money and will be Love's favorite target. Pass at your own peril.
Drezden
Footballguy
Every year, I watched my be loving the Packers' choice to draft defensive players in the first round. I still remember the 2013 selection of Datone Jones at pick 1.26; it nearly brought me to tears when Houston chose Hopkins right after. For years, it's been all about "building your defense first" and "you can't go wrong with an OL or CB." Enough is enough—it's time for a change! Welcome to a Golden era in Wisconsin!
Kind of my thought too, I think Golden is way better than anyone they have there. Reed can take more slot snaps. Doubs is a journeyman, Watson has a torn ACL, and Wicks isn't as good as some people make him out to be. Packers burning the #23 pick on him also tells us they think he's better than all those guys.
I'm a big Jayden Reed fan but he is not a true #1 like Matthew Golden is capable of becoming.
warpig33
Footballguy
Totally a WRBC:
Reed - 55 rec
Kraft - 50
Doubs - 46
Wicks - 39
Jacobs - 36
Watson - 29
Wicks had the most targets with 76 followed by Reed with 75.
yay. they used a first round pick on a WR that they haven't done in forever. Seems like just another mouth to feed with not a whole lot of seperation between them. Add to that they took Williams in the 3rd. Is this how their board had these guys rated or just panic picks?
Reed - 55 rec
Kraft - 50
Doubs - 46
Wicks - 39
Jacobs - 36
Watson - 29
Wicks had the most targets with 76 followed by Reed with 75.
yay. they used a first round pick on a WR that they haven't done in forever. Seems like just another mouth to feed with not a whole lot of seperation between them. Add to that they took Williams in the 3rd. Is this how their board had these guys rated or just panic picks?
Hear me out here. Reed is best in the slot, so he's not really a big competition for snaps. Kraft is a TE and plays in-line. Our guy plays primarily outside so he is competing with Doubs, Wicks, and Watson. Golden is better than all those guys. You may disagree, but I believe if you polled the consensus they would say that Golden is the superior talent.
Better yet, Watson has a torn ACL. So now Golden is competing with Doubs and Wicks for the majority of the X/Z receiver snaps. Get this, Romeo Doubs is in a contract year. There is no guarantee that he will even be on the team next year, no real incentive to give him snaps over developing your 1st Round pick. Wicks I don't see as anything more than a WR3/4. If Golden can't pass Wicks on the depth chart, then the talent was never there to begin with.
I just think it's breaking wonderfully for Golden to become the man by the 2H of 2025 and carry it forward into future years as Love's WR1.
Probably a WRBC but attrition might work itself out.
First off on Williams I don't see him actually lining up and playing a whole lot of WR. He's a Cord Patterson gadget guy. Maybe will evolve into something else one day.
Watson I've heard a range of week 8 to week 12. He'll want to play well as he'll be entering FA but at the same time you'd think that's also a huge reason he'll be very cautious on his return timeline. I'm not expecting him to be much of a factor until last quarter of the season and even then I think a heavily reduced role then what he previously saw.
Doubs ended the year with two bad concussions and very ominous that the last one was wearing the concussion guard cap AND to me the hit did not look bad. Also is he truly over the unhappiness that led him to getting suspended a game? I don't know sure if he attended OTA's but he was one of the few players that Packers beat writer reported they did not see at their recent OTA. (2 of the other 4 players not present were Watson and Jaire who is working on contract reduction to keep from getting cut. A third guy was the long snapper) Point is particpation was super high except for injured/contract situations.
Reed only started playing in 12 personnel sets when he was basically forced to, seems obvious now he's not going to be an everydown player. That's not to say he can't move around a little, but he's mainly a slot who does not play when they line up 2 or less WR's.
I still think Wicks has consdierable upside. The drops were awful, the separation was elite. One of those is more correctable then the other. I think it's going to be between him and Golden for top target earner among the WR's. Golden was not a huge target earner in college, played very few games as his teams top WR, might be asking a lot for him to seize that role so soon.
After this season Doubs and Watson could be gone, if not sooner, and next years draft class might make this WR class look strong.
The Longtime Lurker
Footballguy
Don't forget they're getting Musgrave back healthy and he was a second round pick that could take another bite out of a crowded group of pass catchers.
JohnnyU
Footballguy
I don’t think he’s a threat to anyone
