MatthewGolden

News: 20 hours agoGolden secured all four targets for 52 yards and rushed three times for nine yards in the Packers' 13-10 loss to the Browns on Sunday. He also returned two punts for eight yards.

Spin: The rookie first-round pick had struggled through his first two weeks as a pro while generating a 2-16-0 line on four targets in that span. Therefore, Sunday's performance was essentially a mini-breakout by comparison, and in addition to producing a team-high receiving yardage figure, Golden also logged multiple rush attempts for the second consecutive contest. With Jayden Reed (IR, collarbone/foot) out for an extended period, Golden should progressively carve out a larger role in coming weeks.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Golden was selected by Green Bay in the first round of April's draft. He impressed at the combine with a 4.29 40-yard dash and 1.49 10-yard split (both best among WRs). He's a bit on the small side and his 1.86 YPRR across 36 collegiate games isn't very good, but he did make a big leap in 2024 (his lone year at Texas), posting a 58-987-9 receiving line. He can work all over the formation and is a plus kick returner. With Christian Watson (ACL) likely to miss a big chunk of the season and Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed as his primary competition for work, Golden has a good chance to operate as Jordan Love's top target in 2025. The speedster should be viewed as a WR3 with obvious upside.