The Green Bay Packers recent blockbuster trade with the Dallas Cowboys to acquire EDGE Micah Parsons has sent a clear message the organization expects to compete for a Super Bowl in 2025. Prior to the trade heard round the world, the organization also bucked its recent trend of passing on WR position early in NFL Drafts by making Texas WR Matthew Golden the No. 22 overall pick this year.
One NFL writer believes this investment at the WR position will produce big results in 2025.
Packers WR Matthew Golden Predicted to Win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award
In an era where the vast majority of offensive awards go to the quarterback position, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic made a bold prediction by claiming that Green Bay Packers WR Matthew Golden will win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2025.
“The first-round rookie wide receiver already looks like the Packersâ best wideout in camp. His hands, especially, stand out. Maybe thatâs just because the Packers dropped a boatload of passes last season, but the 22-year-oldâs talent has been evident, nonetheless,” wrote Schneidman. “General manager Brian Gutekunst said Golden makes a play or two each practice that lets you know heâll have a future in the NFL. On a team with a litany of injuries at receiver, Golden should get plenty of opportunities from the jump and only pick up steam from there. The only question is will the Packers pass the ball enough, and enough to him when theyâd be justified in spreading it around, for Golden to have a shot at winning Offensive Rookie of the Year?”
Spreading it around has been a calling card of Packers QB Jordan Love in his two full seasons under center as the starter. The highest number of targets a receiver has earned over this two-year span was 96 by Romeo Doubs, who finished with 59 receptions for 674 yards and eight scores.
The WR room has been a bit banged up this offseason with Jayden Reed nursing a foot injury, Christian Watson still recovering from a torn ACL, and Romeo Doubs working through a back injury earlier this preseason. This, in theory, could create a bigger opportunity for Golden from the start of the season than expected.
What Kind of Production Would Matthew Golden Need to Win Offensive Rookie of the Year?
Considering the best year we have ever seen from Matthew Golden on a college football field was in 2024 with 58 receptions for 987 yards and nine scores, the Texas product will likely need to outperform his college production by a significant margin to win this award.
To be fair, Golden did have to compete with Isaiah Bond for targets in a talented offense last season at Texas, but this level of receiving production in college leading to an even better statistical rookie season at the NFL level can feel a bit aggressive.
For some context, Los Angeles Rams WR Puka Nacua broke the record for receptions by a wide receiver in his rookie season with 105 receptions for 1,486 yards and six scores back in 2023 and still didn’t win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award over Houston Texans QB CJ Stroud.
Golden could certainly sneak into the OROY conversation in a year with just Cam Ward projected to earn the starting nod at quarterback to start the season and Ashton Jeanty playing in what is expected to be an average offense in Las Vegas, but he will have to firmly emerge as the Packers go-to WR to have a shot at winning this award — which speaks against how this passing offense has operated under Jordan Love.
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