Matthew Golden Makes All-Breakout Team; Here’s Why Packers Are Optimistic

“I think all those are going to go up,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “And I’m excited about him. He’s looked great so far. It’s going to be a big year for him, and I’m excited to watch it.”

New receivers coach Noah Pauley provided an interesting nugget during his first media session earlier this month.

“I haven’t been around as much as some of the other coaches and seen him, but one thing I’ll say is he’s come back heavier, which is great to see,” Pauley said. “Put on some pounds, and he’s just laser focused in everything he’s doing and he’s competing at a high level. Where that takes him, the opportunities he may get, I’m excited to see those.”

Including cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter, Golden was the fourth receiver drafted last year. He wound up ninth in the draft class with 29 receptions and eighth with 361 touchdowns. Of the 20 rookies who were targeted at least 20 times, he was third in catch rate at 72.5 percent.

Twenty rookie receivers caught at least one touchdown pass, with nine catching at least three, but Golden had zero.

“We try to give guys two to three things to work on,” passing game coordinator Jason Vrable said. “When he came back, he said, ‘I watched more tape on myself, and just like guys around the league in our offense,’ and he’s like, ‘My biggest jump, I already know, is just the mental part.’

“It’s the mental part, the details and how they matter, why they matter and being able to play fast. Because he’s like, ‘I was watching the tape (and) I just wasn’t playing as fast as I wanted, and I could see it on tape, just a little bit of hesitation at times, you know?’”

One of Golden’s greatest assets is his speed. If the mental side becomes a strength, he will be better able to play to his elite speed.

The Packers will need that to be the case. Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Golden are atop a receiver depth chart that has zero established depth.

“Like I said to him,” Vrable continued, “he’s always been able to catch the ball and run through the football, and that’s what great receivers do. His hand-eye coordination, I’d say, is one of the better ones I’ve been around. So, he can do that, but now the mental part, he’s starting to become a lot more confident. And I can feel it.”