6 days ago
Packers rookie Matthew Golden scores pair of smooth wins in joint practice with Colts
During training camp and joint practices, 1-on-1 drills between pass-catchers and coverage players often heavily favor the pass-catcher. In the cornerback and wide receiver 1-on-1s, cornerbacks are left on an island without help, while the wide receiver knows the route beforehand and can go multiple directions. Good luck.
Green Bay Packers rookie Matthew Golden took full advantage of the opportunity to showcase his talent during Thursday's joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts.
Given two 1-on-1 reps, Golden scored a pair of smooth and impressive wins.
Here's Golden against veteran cornerback Charvarius Ward:
Golden released cleanly off the line, threatened an outside route and then broke it off inside, leaving Ward crossed up on the transition and trailing well behind. Golden made the catch on the run and uncontested.
Here's Golden against Colts cornerback Alex Johnson:
This time, Golden got a clean release inside, threatened up the field and then cut outside, leaving Johnson in the dust. The Colts cornerback was in full recovery mode by the time Golden made an easy catch and then accelerated up the field.
The 1-on-1 caveat here remains, but two things standout from the reps.
First, Golden is both smooth and sudden. His long speed is an asset, but his super power really is an ability to stop and start with ease and explosiveness. Secondly, Golden is going to be a nightmare to cover if he's not pressed or moved off the line of scrimmage at the snap. If he can consistently win with his release, Golden will be big trouble for corners to cover.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers rookie Matthew Golden 1-on-1 wins in joint practice with Colts
