Packers Draft Matthew Golden as Fans Celebrate GB's 1st WR Taken in Round 1 Since 2002

The Green Bay Packers have selected Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft on Thursday.

Golden ranked 20th overall and third among his position in the final B/R NFL Scouting Department big board.

This pick marks the first time that Green Bay has selected a wide receiver in the first round since 2002, when the Packers took Javon Walker with the No. 20 overall choice.

Golden played at the University of Houston for two years before transferring to Texas. He shined for the Longhorns, amassing 58 catches, 987 yards and nine touchdowns for the College Football Playoff semifinalists. He was a fantastic deep threat too.

He turned heads in the pre-draft process, most notably when he ran a 4.29-second 40-yard dash.

Golden was widely considered a first-round prospect, and that's where he landed with the Packers going wideout for the first time in 23 years.

Fans and analysts reacted to the pick.

This marked a unique year for Green Bay with the draft occurring in town (specifically Lambeau Field) for the first time in the event's history.

The Packers are coming off an 11-6 season that ended with a playoff berth, but their postseason run ended abruptly with a 22-10 road loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Round.

The year before, the Packers snuck into the playoffs with a 9-8 record as the No. 7 seed. Green Bay then authored a massive upset over the No. 2 seeded Dallas Cowboys, 48-32, before nearly picking off the eventual NFC champion San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round before losing 24-21.

Overall, it's been a solid start for the Packers in the Jordan Love era. After waiting behind Aaron Rodgers for three years, the former Utah State star has fared well as Green Bay's starter, and he's in town long term after signing a four-year, $220 million deal.

Green Bay is solid on both sides of the ball, having finished eighth in scoring and then sixth in points allowed. The Packers, remarkably, lost four of their six games by two of three points, a fifth by five points and a sixth by 10 points.

A few more bounces their way could have potentially led to an NFC North title and a No. 1 seed in the playoffs, especially considering that they lost twice to the eventual division champions, the Detroit Lions.

Green Bay still entered this draft with some needs, notably at cornerback, edge-rusher and wide receiver. The Packers have seven draft picks, with No. 23 overall leading the way.

We'll see how the Packers continue to attack the draft at home soon enough with the festivities continuing on Friday and Saturday.