The Packers spent the No. 23 pick to end a 23-year wait for a first-round wide receiver, and Matthew Golden arrived in Green Bay carrying that kind of weight. The Texas rookie became the first Packers first-round receiver since Javon Walker in 2002, which made the expectations loud before he ever took a snap.
His first year didn’t fully match the buzz. Golden finished the regular season with 29 catches for 361 yards and zero touchdowns, a line that looks modest next to the hype around him.
But that number doesn’t tell the whole story. He was stuck in a crowded rotation, and head coach Matt LaFleur kept the leash tight early, feeding him rather than turning him loose.
That’s why the latest omission around Golden stands out so much. Bleacher Report left him off its list of five second-year wide receivers primed to break out in 2026, a group that included Jaylin Lane of the Commanders, Jayden Higgins of the Texans, and three players who already flashed in a big way as rookies: Tetairoa McMillan of the Panthers, Emeka Egbuka of the Buccaneers, and Luther Burden III of the Bears. It raises a simple question: how exactly do you “break out” when you’ve already done the breaking out?
There is some logic behind the skepticism, even if it doesn’t hold up very well. Romeo Doubs and Dontavyion Wicks are gone, Tucker Kraft is coming off a major injury, and there are real snaps and targets waiting to be claimed in Green Bay. Christian Watson is locked in as the top wideout, but Golden, the Packers’ latest first-round investment, looks set for a major role in 2026.
His rookie year also ended on a better note than the overall stat line suggests. In the playoff loss to the Chicago Bears, Golden caught four passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. That kind of finish is the sort of thing teams usually treat as a sign of what’s coming next.
LaFleur has a bright offensive mind steering the ship, even if he can be his own worst enemy when he gets too cautious. With Golden’s big-play ability and a path to more volume, overlooking him could end up being an expensive mistake for anyone still sleeping on him in 2026.
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