The 2025 NFL draft offered the Green Bay Packers a perfect opportunity to upgrade their wide receiver room. Although the Packers' WR depth chart includes talented names like Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, and Christian Watson, the group's lack of consistency combined with a plethora of injuries prevent anyone from emerging as a true No. 1 wideout.
The Packers decided to address their WR needs twice during the draft, first selecting Texas' Matthew Golden at No. 23 before using the 87th overall pick on TCU's Savion Williams. Although one would expect some of Green Bay's veteran receivers to be intimidated by the incoming pair, one returning Packers WR is doing his best to embrace the new blood.
Packers WR Jayden Reed is Helping Rookie Matthew Golden Adjust to the NFL Level
USA TODAY's Ryan Wood recently spoke with Packers passing game coordinator Jason Vrable, who made it a point to reveal that Reed has taken on a bigger leadership role this offseason when it comes to the rookie WRs.
"(Reed's) standing behind Matthew Golden right now, helping him go over every single play," Vrable said on Wednesday afternoon.
The revelation of Reed's increased leadership role is interesting, to say the least. Vrable's words come a week after NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst had to meet with the 25-year-old WR to clarify that Golden and Williams' presence wouldn't hurt his role on the team.
Nevertheless, it'd be great if Reed found a way to be consistently productive while helping Golden and Williams thrive in Year 1. The former Michigan State WR's play was up and down in 2024, to say the least, opening the year with 36 catches for 620 receiving yards and three touchdowns in his first nine games, to posting a forgettable 19-237-3 stat line in the final eight regular-season contests.
Hopefully, the incoming rookie WR duo can help light a fire under Reed and the rest of the Packers' wideouts. Golden was one of the 2025 draft's top-ranked wideouts after recording 58 catches, 987 yards, and an SEC-leading nine TD grabs in 2024, whereas Williams recorded a line of 60-611-6 in his final year at Texas Christian University.
At the end of the day, too much of a good thing isn't always bad, and the Packers could benefit by having one of the deepest WR rooms as long as everyone does their part next season. In the meantime, Green Bay fans will get a better sense of the team's wideout situation when this year's organized team activities (OTAs) begin on Tuesday, May 27.