Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst Praises New Draftee
The Green Bay Packers have not drafted a wide receiver in the first round since 2002.
However, on Thursday evening, during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, which is hosted in Green Bay, general manager Brian Gutekunst and the organization changed that.
Wide Receiver Matthew Golden of Texas poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and President/CEO of the Green Bay Packers Mark Murphy© Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
With the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Green Bay selected Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden.
Advertisement
Golden spent two seasons at the University of Houston before transferring to Texas. In his only season with the Longhorns, he led the team with 987 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
His two biggest games of the season came when the lights were brightest, putting up 162 yards on eight catches in the SEC Championship game against Georgia, as well as 149 yards and a touchdown on seven catches against Arizona State in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals.
When asked what traits stood out in Golden when the team evaluated him, Gutekunst did not hesitate in his answer.
"Authentic and genuine. This guy's been through some things now in his young life and come out the other side of it," Gutekunst said on Thursday night. "He knows who he is, he loves football, and I think he's going to be a great teammate around here."
Advertisement
Related: The Packers Should Strongly Consider Drafting This Wide Receiver Prospect
Green Bay ultimately valued Golden's ability to stretch the field vertically and become a reliable target for his quarterback above all else.
The 21-year-old posted a 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine this year -- ranking as the fastest receiver time in the class and second-fastest overall prospect behind former Kentucky and newly drafted Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who ran a 4.28.
'Obviously he (Golden) has elite speed. His ability to stretch the field outside the numbers is really, really important. And when you watch him, we thought he arguably had some of the best hands in the draft,' Gutekunst emphasized.
This was a much-needed acquisition after a season in which the team lacked consistent and reliable wide receiver play.
Advertisement
In the past, head coach Matt LaFleur has pointed out how much he loves to build up offensive momentum, eventually opening up the deep ball for Jordan Love. Golden will play a big part in both of those offensive elements.
While he has shown that he can win and thrive while playing in the slot, Golden's true ceiling will come on the outside.
'We certainly felt that he can play outside, and that was important to us,' Gutekunst added.
The question of who gets left out of this receiving group now comes up.
With Golden's skillset and capability of stretching the field, wide receiver Christian Watson may be the odd one out, considering that it has been his role in the offense as well, thus far.
Advertisement
Related: Packers Make Move on Ultra-Athletic Potential Body Guard for Jordan Love
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
32 minutes ago
- USA Today
Former QB blasts Mike Tomlin, Steelers' Aaron Rodgers signing: 'Definition of insanity'
Former QB blasts Mike Tomlin, Steelers' Aaron Rodgers signing: 'Definition of insanity' Steelers HC Mike Tomlin has come under fire after news of the Aaron Rodgers signing broke — and former NFL QB Chase Daniel isn't holding back. Back in January, Tomlin claimed that "it's not like doing I've been doing the same things over [and over]" — but Daniel explained that the Rodgers signing proves the exact opposite (courtesy of The Facility): "That's completely false, because you have been doing the same thing over and over. The Steelers have been in this situation before — an aging quarterback, trying to resurrect his career, that needs to be propped up by the NFL's most expensive defense. They tried to muddle last season with 36-year-old Russell Wilson — what did it get them? A first-round exit — not a playoff win. Russell Wilson went 6-5," Daniel criticized. "They did it with Big Ben [Roethlisberger] in his late 30s for a few years — Ben was 9-7 his last season. It didn't work. They're trying to do it again with Aaron Rodgers this year — in what possibly could be Aaron Rodgers' last season as a pro." Daniel would conclude with a powerful criticism of Tomlin's strategy over the past few years — one that many Steelers fans may agree with: "[The Steelers are] doing exactly what Mike Tomlin said he wasn't doing, and the definition of that in the dictionary — if I'm not wrong, [Emmanuel] Acho — is insanity." Could Rodgers serve as the outlier to Tomlin's failed attempts to rely on aging QBs, or will he ultimately become the last nail in the coffin for the Steelers head coach's tenure in Pittsburgh? For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
What Analysts Get Wrong About Baker Mayfield's Buccaneers Deal
What Analysts Get Wrong About Baker Mayfield's Buccaneers Deal originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There is a common misconception when it comes Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. When Mayfield signed a three-year, $100 million extension during the 2024 offseason, analysts compared the deal to similar agreements made by Geno Smith in Seattle (three-years, $75 million). Advertisement Mayfield was coming off a season in which he helped the Buccaneers reach the divisional round of the playoffs. He absolutely earned that money. Now, though, Mayfield has outplayed his current contract. That's the argument made by writer Tom Blair this week. Blair made it clear that Mayfield has outplayed his $33.3 million average. Last season, the former first overall pick set career highs in most statistical categories including passing yards (4,500), touchdowns (41), and passer rating (106.8). There's something that most analysts like Blair get wrong about Mayfield's contract, though. While Mayfield's per-year average is low, his cap hit is just over $23 million for this season. That number is actually $2 million more than Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, and $5 million less than Patrick Mahomes. Advertisement Next offseason, Mayfield's cap hit is set to increase to a whopping $49 million. That cap number will count for 18% of the team's money per Spotrac, and will be $18 million more than Hurts next season. A big reason why the Buccaneers have been able to retain some of their top talent is because of Mayfield's current contract. Compared to other top quarterbacks in the conference, the Oklahoma product costs a fair amount. And at the end of the day, the Buccaneers know they need to retain as much of their talent as possible if they want to make a Super Bowl push. Mayfield may seem like an underpaid asset for Tampa Bay, but the reality is that he is exactly where he needs to be to keep the Bucs in contention. Advertisement Related: Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield Has Glowing Scouting Report On Emeka Egbuka Related: Buccaneers Boast Crowded Wideout Room Ahead of Training Camp This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Buccaneers' Overlooked Veteran Given Props By First Rounder
Buccaneers' Overlooked Veteran Given Props By First Rounder originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Former Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is walking into as perfect a situation with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as any rookie receiver in history. Advertisement The 19th overall pick in the 2025 draft has aging veterans playing in front of him that include a Hall-of-Famer in Mike Evans, and a Pro Bowl talent in Chris Godwin. Together, the Godwin-Evans duo has consistently been one of the better receiving pairs in the league over the last decade. There's another veteran on the team that has helped Egbuka in his transition to the NFL, though. And this one is overlooked on Tampa Bay's loaded roster. Former New York Giant Sterling Shepherd. Egbuka spoke with NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and Sam Wyche after OTAs this week and name-dropped Shepherd as a key person in his development. Advertisement "I think every time I come back from running a route, if I a ran a good route or I didn't run a so-good route, Sterling [Shepard] is one of the first ones to be able to tell me and we'll watch it together on film post practice — we're always studying the game," Egbuka said. Shepherd was once a second round pick by New York in 2016 and quickly became a dependable player in their offense. He had over 500 yards receiving in each of his first five seasons with the team. Injuries forced the veteran out of New York, though, and into the Buccaneers locker room. He recorded 32 catches for over 330 yards, and a single touchdown last season for the Buccaneers in 2024. This season, Shepherd is fighting for a roster spot once again. The fact that he continues to be a leader for someone like Egbuka shows just how special a person he is. Advertisement And how important he could be for Tampa in 2025. Related: Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield Has Glowing Scouting Report On Emeka Egbuka Related: Buccaneers Boast Crowded Wideout Room Ahead of Training Camp This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
