Urgency Needed in WR Room
Packers rookie Matthew Golden has been the most dependable (and available) wide receiver thus far in training camp.
The first play of the Green Bay Packers preseason was a microcosm of much of the 2024 season. The play was a dropped pass by Romeo Doubs. After leading the league in dropped passes, the Packers pass catchers had a poor showing on Saturday against the New York Jets with five more drops.
If there was ever a way for the Packers offense to show improvement from 2024 to 2025 it will most likely come from their wide receiver room.
The foursome of players who were 2022 and 2023 draft picks have all had glimpses of becoming a reliable starting wide receiver, but have also all shown inconsistency. This foursome is Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks. All four guys have struggled with drops, consistently getting open and being reliable redzone targets.
Most impressive Packers newcomer?
"Matthew Golden," Jordan Love said without hesitation.
"He's gonna be a stud." 👀
"Very aggressive hands, smooth route runner, he's got speed."
This Is Football from Green Bay. pic.twitter.com/bIOj3SXuOD
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) August 6, 2025
Because of these inconsistencies, the Packers used two of their first three draft picks this past April on wide receiver. Matthew Golden, the first wide receiver taken by the franchise in the first round since 2002, is already showing he should be one of the team’s top wide receivers.
Feels right that Matthew Golden (the Packers first RD1 WR since before the Patriot Act) was the only Packers WR to not be an embarrassment tonight. pic.twitter.com/ukxhJssZRO
— Jacob (@NotionsOfJacob) August 10, 2025
Golden only had the one catch against the Jets, but during training camp he has shown the ability to make tough catches, as well as be a threat and at both intermediate and deep routes.
If the Packers offense is to take a step forward, it is likely that Golden will be a major reason why. Especially given the availability question marks of so many of the other wide receivers. On Saturday, Reed, Wicks and rookie Savion Williams all did not play due to minor injuries. And Tuesday during practice, Doubs left because of a potential back injury.
The last two times the Packers were able to hoist Lombardi trophies there were two common themes from the offenses in both 1996 and 2010. The quarterback started to play at an MVP level and its young wide receivers elevated their games along with the quarterback.
In both 1995 and 1996, when Brett Favre won his first two Most Valuable Player awards, his play coincided with the elevation of both Robert Brooks and Antonio Freeman from promising, young draft picks, to Pro Bowl level wide receivers.
Brooks set a Packers record for most yards receiving in 1995 and after his knee injury in 1996, it was Freeman who catapulted himself into a reliable No. 1 receiver.
| Player | Year | Rec. | Yards | TDs |
| Brooks | 1995 | 102 | 1,497 | 13 |
| Freeman | 1996 | 56 | 933 | 9 |
In 2010, the Packers had a trio of former Day 1 draft picks who all elevated their play at different times during the Super Bowl run.
Greg Jennings, a 2006 2nd round pick, led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns. James Jones, a 2007 3rd round pick, set a then-career high in receiving yards and was second on the team in receiving touchdowns. Jordy Nelson, a 2008 2nd round pick, hit his stride during the Packers six-game winning streak to end the 2010 season. Nelson had the best game of his young career in Super Bowl XLV with 9 catches for 140 yards and a touchdown.
This also coincided with the improved play of Aaron Rodgers, who would go onto win the 2011 MVP award and lead the Packers to a team-record 19 straight wins.
| Player | Rec. | Yards | TD's |
| Jennings | 76 | 1,265 | 12 |
| Driver | 51 | 565 | 4 |
| Jones | 50 | 679 | 5 |
| Nelson | 45 | 582 | 2 |
The three of them complimented Donald Driver who was still a starter, but was slowly fading behind Jones and Nelson as the complimentary wide receivers opposite Jennings.
One major difference from both 1996 and 2010 is having more experience at wide receiver to go along with the young, up-and-comers. If this year’s group is to take that next step, it will have to come with one of them becoming a standout, without the help of a veteran to learn from.
The Gold Zone is from here on out to be referred to as the Golden Zone.
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) April 25, 2025
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Mitch McLaughlin is a Packers fan and shareholder residing in Sacramento, California. He will be writing Packers stories each week on Cheesehead TV. He can be found on Twitter: @McLaughlinMitch
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Comments (5)
Coldworld
August 12, 2025 at 06:22 pm
If you play vanilla offense against first stringers, expect a lot of contested catches. Thee are pros, they can see a lot if that coming.
If your OL is dysfunctional, expect a lot of early and rushed throws. That means not ideal timing and likely less touch.
Put those together and some of the drops perhaps mean less than they might. That’s not to take away from a bad showing, but to suggest context at least on the drops.
UnoMyName
August 13, 2025 at 07:35 am
I though Doubs' "drops" were contested and the DB managed to get a hand in or knocked it away,
NFLfan
August 12, 2025 at 07:40 pm
I'm going to be watching the Lion's game with my hands ready to cover my eyes.
dblbogey
August 12, 2025 at 08:49 pm
" The quarterback started to play at an MVP level and its young wide receivers elevated their games along with the quarterback. "
Any Super Bowl hopes does come down to Love playing near to the level he played the last half of the 23 season. How good is he? I remember DeVonte, Jordy and Jones all having drop problems but DeVonte and Jones corrected it the next year. Jordy took a couple of years. I think Golden is the real deal with excellent hands, but we'll see if our other guys stop dropping the ball this year.
TKWorldWide
August 13, 2025 at 05:59 am
Golden: great hands, great routes, AND blazing speed!?
Whooo! So glad to hear he’s a football player and not just a “track guy.”
(Even though track guys are the salt of the earth, UW-L, 1989.)