The Green Bay Packers ended a 23-year drought when they took Matthew Golden with the No. 23 pick. The rookie out of Texas was the first first-round wide receiver the Packers took since Javon Walker back in 2002.
Golden's rookie season didn't necessarily live up to that hype. While some of his fellow rookies dominated, head coach Matt LaFleur kept him on a short leash and spoon-fed him through the first half of the season.
Now, with most of his competition gone, he should be in for a bounce-back campaign. That's why it was borderline insulting to see him being left out of Bleacher Report's list of five second-year wide receivers primed to break out in 2026.
The NFL is sleeping on Packers' Matthew Golden
The article featured Jaylin Lane (Commanders), Jayden Higgins (Texans), and three players who actually had great rookie seasons: Tetairoa McMillan (Panthers), Emeka Egbuka (Buccaneers), and Luther Burden III (Bears). How can you break out when you've already broken out?
It's easy to understand where the skepticism is coming from, though that doesn't mean it makes sense. Romeo Doubs and Dontavyion Wicks are gone, and Tucker Kraft is coming off a major injury, so there are plenty of touches up for grabs in Green Bay.
With Christian Watson locked in as the primary wide receiver, Golden, the team's most recent first-round pick, should be in for a huge role in 2026. That's just obvious, which is why the snub feels oddly personal.
Golden hauled in 29 catches for 361 yards and zero touchdowns in the regular season. That was underwhelming, but putting it all on him would be unfair and inaccurate. He was the odd man out in a stacked rotation, and LaFleur didn't seem to trust him with a big workload right out of the gate, just like he usually does with first-year players.
Even so, he closed out the season on a high note, logging four catches for 84 yards and one score in the playoff loss to the Chicago Bears. That should be an encouraging sign ahead of his second year in the league, and not the other way around.
The Packers have a bright offensive mind calling the shots. LaFleur, admittedly, is also his own worst enemy when he stops taking risks. But with a dynamic weapon with big-play potential like Golden, ready to break out, sleeping on him might be a costly mistake in 2026.
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