Rookie Spotlight: Matthew Golden, WR, Green Bay Packers

With Christian Watson sidelined for 2025 after an ACL tear, Green Bay’s WR room just lost its top vertical weapon—and that’s where first-round burner Matthew Golden steps in. The Texas transfer lit up the NFL Combine with sub-4.30 speed and now has a shot to carve out a fantasy-relevant role right out of the gate. But can he handle the weekly grind, or will inconsistency keep him chained to your bench?

Let’s break it down.

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Résumé at a Glance

College Stats

Season	School	G	Rec	Yards	TD	YPC
2022	Houston	12	39	702	8	18.0
2023	Houston	9	38	404	6	10.6
2024	Texas	16	58	987	9	17.0

Golden rebounded in a big way after a foot injury shortened his sophomore year. His 2024 campaign at Texas put him back on the map as one of the most explosive deep threats in college football.

Combine Measurables

• 40-yard dash: 4.29 seconds (1.49 split)

• Height/Weight: 5’11”, 191 lbs

• Vertical jump: 33”

In short: He’s fast, compact, and built for the Z-receiver role in Matt LaFleur’s offense.

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Why the Hype is Real

1. Watson’s targets are up for grabs

Watson led the team in average depth of target (18.7 yards) and accounted for over 10% of Green Bay’s targets. With him out, there’s a clear void in the deep game.

2. Deep-ball specialist

Golden averaged 17.0 yards per catch at Texas and racked up nine 20+ yard receptions. He fits right into Love’s big-arm attack.

3. Jordan Love is better than you think

Love finished 5th in QBR (73.2) last year and was quietly efficient. He averaged just 28.3 pass attempts per game, but made them count.

4. The WR room is still wide open

Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Romeo Doubs each saw 70–75 targets in 2024—but none broke 860 yards. There’s room for a rookie to break in.

5. End zone instinct

Golden totaled 22 career TDs, 13 of them in the red zone. He knows how to finish drives, and LaFleur’s play-action system could highlight that early.

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Where the Wheels Might Wobble

Concern	Evidence	Fantasy Fallout
Inconsistency	Four games under 35 yards in 2024; no catches vs. Alabama or LSU despite 28 routes	Feast-or-famine profile screams best-ball dart, but could wreck your redraft lineup
Focus drops	Drop rate over 7%, with scouts citing concentration and route polish as issues	In a spread-it-around offense, missed opportunities = missed snaps
Not a physical dominator	Contested-catch win rate < 50%; struggles vs. press coverage	May be limited to slot/motion work early instead of true boundary role
Blocking won’t help him see the field	PFF blocking grade: 67 (below average)	LaFleur leans on perimeter blocking to keep WRs on the field—he’ll need to improve here
Low target volume overall	Love ranked 30th in pass attempts per game	Even with a 16% target share, we’re talking 70–75 total looks—every catch has to count

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Fantasy Outlook

Dynasty

Golden’s speed, production, and red-zone instincts make him a strong long-term play. If he develops physically and cleans up the drops, he could leapfrog Wicks and Doubs by 2026. A worthy stash.

Redraft / Best-Ball

In best-ball, he’s a late-round dart with spike-week upside. In redraft, you’ll need to be patient—expect something like 45 catches, 675 yards, and 5 TDs as a realistic Year 1 projection.

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Bottom Line

Matthew Golden walks into an ideal opportunity, armed with 4.29 speed and a clear path to meaningful targets. But volume is limited, the role isn’t guaranteed, and he’ll need to shake off some bad habits to stick. In dynasty, draft the traits and wait. In redraft, aim for the upside—just don’t be surprised if the boom comes with a little bust.