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Green Bay Packers: NFL Insider Drops 2 Things that Have Stood Out About Rookie WR Matthew Golden

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By Robin M Adams | Last updated Aug 4, 2025 1:29 PM ET

One of the most anticipated things about the Green Bay Packers this upcoming season is watching 2025 first round pick Matthew Golden. Very few, if any, people expected the Packers to use their first round selection on a wide receiver, something that they had not done since 2002. Even starting quarterback Jordan Love predicted that the team would go defense in the first round, just based on what they have done in previous drafts.

But the Packers’ wide receivers were some of the worst in the NFL last season when it came to drops and drop percentage. And with their most sure-handed wide receiver, Christian Watson, out for the start of the upcoming season as he recovers from a torn ACL, Green Bay decided to add to the room, putting pressure on their young core to improve or lose their jobs.

From what is being observed from Golden so far in camp, it appears that the future is, indeed, bright at the position.

Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Matthew Golden Is Turning Heads

Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love Admits He Was Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden (22) catches the ball during the team’s first day of minicamp on June 10, 2025, at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently published an article which detailed his observations and notes from visiting nine NFL training camps in nine days. He visited Green Bay on July 31 and was very impressed with what he saw from Golden:

“People inside the Packers aren’t quiet about their impressions of first-round receiver Matthew Golden, who has looked the part thus far. Two things that have stood out: His hands (he’s not a body-catcher) and his determination to be great. One person with the team pointed out that he hadn’t dropped a pass through the first week-plus of camp, and he connected on a 60-yard deep ball in 11-man earlier in the week.

“Golden is part of a deep receiver room that will create tough roster decisions. ‘It’s a very competitive room right now,’ LaFleur said. Players on the fringe, such as Mecole Hardman and Malik Heath, are performing well.”

Of course, the desire to be great is always a great thing to hear from NFL players. After all, which of them does not want that? But the most encouraging note, especially for fans, is how sure-handed Golden has been so far in camp.

As mentioned, Green Bay led the NFL in dropped passes last season, which may have played a part in the early notion that Jordan Love had “taken a step back” from 2023 to 2024. The fact of the matter, though, is that Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, and Dontayvion Wicks were all among the league leaders in dropped passes.

With Golden (and the rest of the newcomers) competing for snaps, that is an issue that hopefully will not plague the Packers again in 2025.

This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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