A bold prediction was made for the Green Bay Packers newest wide receiver. NFL.com dropped their projected stats for every major rookie coming out of the 2025 draft.
The Packers selecting a wide receiver in the 1st round is a big deal. It’s something they haven’t done in 20 years, and likely won’t do again, even if things pan out with the Texas graduate.
Dan Parr Predicts Near 1000-Yard Season for Matthew Golden
Drafted No. 23 overall, Matthew Golden was one of the top receivers to come off the board in the 1st round. Travis Hunter was guaranteed to go shortly, if not immediately after Cam Ward. Hunter’s stat-line is the only one projected to perform better than Golden, even though two other receivers were selected ahead of him.
Parr discussed the best case-scenario for the Packers newest receiver, “Golden instantly provides the WR1 bona fides Green Bay’s offense has been missing. He’s a big-play machine, hitting it off with Jordan Love and becoming the Packers’ first 1,000-yard receiver since Davante Adams’ last year with the team (2021).”
That 1,000 yard season is important to mention as Parr’s final projected stats see Golden haul in 67 catches for 973 yards and six touchdowns. Should that become a reality, the 22-year-old would need to average 14.5 yards per reception.
To put things into perspective, only Hunter is projected to finish with more receiving yards than Golden. The Jacksonville Jaguars two-way player is projected to have 82 catches for 1,097 yards and eight touchdowns.
Tetairoa McMillan and Emeka Egbuka were the other receivers selected ahead of Golden. Taken at No. 8 and No. 19, Parr predicts both will also finish above 900 yards. He has the Carolina Panthers newest receiver finishing with 72 catches for 901 yards and six touchdowns. As for Egbuka, Baker Mayfield’s rookie receiver is projected to have 73 catches for 932 yards and six touchdowns.
The Sky is the Limit for Matthew Golden
With Jayden Reed in a walking boot and Christian Watson on the PUP list, Golden can immediately assert his dominance as WR1. Jordan Love fell in love with No. 22 who hauled in his lone reception in Week 1 of the preseason. Green Bay’s QB is dealing with an injury of his own, one that isn’t expected to hold him back.
It’s clear that Parr sees a similar ceiling for McMillan, Egbuka, and Golden. All of their statistics are quite similar, with Hunter being the clear favorite as the best out of the four receivers that were selected in the first round.
While the sky seems to be the limit, the NFL senior editor outlined where things could go wrong, “Big, physical defenders have success neutralizing Golden, who doesn’t have elite size.”
“Focus drops become a bigger issue than expected, and his involvement trends downward among a crowded group of pass catchers, especially when Christian Watson returns from injury,” he added.
The Packers are one of the few teams in the league to not have a clear WR1. TE Tucker Kraft has the potential to end the season with the most receiving yards. Health and drops will be two key factors as Matt LaFleur awaits the first home opener of his lengthy tenure as Green Bay’s HC.
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