In a night full of surprises at the NFL Draft in Green Bay, the loudest cheers came when the hometown Packers finally did something fans have waited over two decades to see — select a wide receiver in the first round.
With the 23rd overall pick, Green Bay chose Texas wideout Matthew Golden, breaking a 22-year streak of bypassing receivers on Day 1. The last time the Packers used a first-rounder at the position was in 2002, when they took Javon Walker.
As Packers president Mark Murphy stepped up to announce the pick and began with, “For the first time since 2002…,” the Lambeau Field crowd erupted. Golden added to the moment by shouting, “Green Bay, it’s time!” after taking the stage.
General manager Brian Gutekunst admitted after the pick that he didn’t think about the streak in the moment.
“You kind of saw the crowd… they’re all Green Bay fans. You heard the chants… it was really cool,” he said. “But honestly, we were just watching the board and trying to do what’s right for the Packers.”
While the drought is finally over, it’s not as if the Packers have ignored receivers. Gutekunst used second-round picks on Christian Watson (2022) and Jayden Reed (2023), and former GM Ted Thompson also found key contributors like Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Davante Adams in Round 2. Even earlier GMs Ron Wolf and Mike Sherman had success with later-round picks such as Donald Driver and Antonio Freeman.
“I don’t think we’ve ever avoided [first-round receivers] philosophically,” Gutekunst said. “It’s just been about the right guy being there.”
This year, Golden was that guy. The Packers needed help at receiver, especially after Watson suffered a torn ACL late last season. Golden brings elite speed — he ran a 4.29-second 40-yard dash at the combine, the fastest of any receiver — and a productive college résumé. Across three seasons at Houston and Texas, he totaled 134 catches for 1,975 yards and 22 touchdowns, including 987 yards and nine scores in 2024 with the Longhorns.
Golden, listed just above Green Bay’s preferred 5-foot-11 threshold for outside receivers, said he knew the significance of his selection.
“It definitely means a lot more,” he said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to go in the first round. To know they haven’t picked a receiver since 2002, man, it’s truly a blessing.”
Golden was the third receiver taken in the draft, following Tetairoa McMillan (No. 8 to Carolina) and Emeka Egbuka (No. 19 to Tampa Bay). Gutekunst said the team considered trade offers but couldn’t pass on Golden’s talent.
The draft itself was a spectacle. Set between Lambeau Field and the main stage, the event drew 205,000 fans — nearly twice the city’s population — and even caused temporary entry pauses due to crowd size.
“What a great, cool moment for Green Bay and the Packers,” Gutekunst said. “It was a really fun scene from the draft room.”
Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images
