The Green Bay Packers went all of Aaron Rodgers' career without taking a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft. They finally ended that 23-year streak this year when they took Texas star Matthew Golden with the No. 23 pick.
Golden became the Packers' first first-round wideout since Javon Walker (2002). Given his speed and the fact that this team didn't seem to have a true and reliable WR1, expectations were quite high for the speedy playmaker. That's why it's been so disappointing to see how things have fared for him this season.
Matthew Golden Joined an Infamous WR List
Through 11 weeks, Golden has yet to get his first touchdown reception. As shown by NFL analyst Kyle Borgognoni on X, that puts him in some pretty infamous company. He's joined players like Nelson Agholor, DeVante Parker, Kevin White, N'Keal Harry, Kadarius Toney, John Dotson, Treylon Burks, among others, in a not-so-flattering list of wide receivers who were taken in the first round yet failed to have a touchdown in the first 11 games of their careers.
Golden has logged the second-most snaps among Packers wide receivers this season (326), trailing only Romeo Doubs (514). He missed one game and is currently dealing with shoulder and wrist injuries, but it still feels like he just hasn't been used to the best of his capacities.
He's a vertical threat, and Matt LaFleur has been adamant about establishing the run with countless inside zone plays. Quarterback Jordan Love has only been asked to dink and dunk or throw screen passes, and that's not the best way to make the most of a weapon like Golden.
So far, the rookie pass catcher out of Texas has logged a Pro Football Focus grade of 67, which ranks 50th among 85 eligible wide receivers. He's up to 24 receptions on 32 targets for 286 yards, all while logging eight carries for 45 rushing yards. To put it bluntly, that's not enough, especially for a team that's now missing two of its primary pass catchers in Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft.
In all fairness, the Packers' offense as a whole has left plenty to be desired this season, mostly due to its overall design and overly conservative play-calling. There's just no way to justify that their first-round pick has averaged just 3.2 targets per game, especially given their big need for an offensive catalyst this season.