Matthew Golden DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Green Bay Packers announced on Monday that they signed first-round wide receiver Matthew Golden to his four-year rookie deal, according to general manager Brian Gutekunst. Golden will receive a fully-guaranteed $17.57 million with a signing bonus of $9.42 million, according to OverTheCap.com. The Packers took the 21-year-old pass-catcher in the first round at the end of April, the first time they had taken a receiver in the first round since 2002. The 5-foot-11, 191-pounder caught 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns at Texas in 2024. Golden should play right away in Green Bay, especially with Christian Watson (knee) potentially out for half the season. He will primarily be a field-stretcher for the Packers and could be a boom/bust fantasy commodity in his first NFL campaign in a wideout corps that also includes Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks.

The Green Bay Packers have agreed to terms with rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden on a four-year, $17.57 million contract. Green Bay spent the No. 23 overall pick on the Texas alum, making him the first first-round wideout since the franchise selected Javon Walker in the first round of 2002. With the contract, he becomes the highest-paid Packers WR. The depth of Green Bay's wide receiver room is one of the most noteworthy knocks against him, but Golden brings something to the table that the other pass-catchers don't, and that's his blazing speed. The 21-year-old makes for an intriguing addition to the team's roster as a deep threat and should get an opportunity to play right away. However, it isn't easy to project significant volume coming his way. Even if he works to the top of the pecking order in the WR corps, the Packers have made it clear they'd like to establish the run -- bolstering the third-lowest pass rate in the NFL in 2024. Golden could prove to be an effective weapon for Jordan Love in the passing game, but the spread-it-around ways of the Packers' offense won't do him any favors.