Matthew Golden analysis: Stats show bright spots and areas to improve

Mark Oldacres, Packers WireSat, June 20, 2026 at 7:48 PM UTC

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden had an interesting rookie year, flashing the talent which made him a first-round pick, but also finding his opportunities limited in a crowded wide receiver room.

It was an up and down campaign in terms of production, with highlight performances against the Bengals in Week 6and the Bears in the playoffs, and other stretches where he was barely involved, partially due to shoulder and wrist injuries, as well as Christian Watson's return to the lineup.

After the highs and the lows, Golden ended the year with just 445 yards and one touchdown, but how did his rookie season look according to the underlying stats? Here are his percentile ranks at the wide receiver position in 2025:

Matthew Golden percentile ranks among wide receivers 2025

In terms of usage, Golden's chart reflects the fact he was primarily utilized as a deep threat as a rookie, with an ADOT of 13.2 yards, which ranked 19th out of 91 eligible receivers. This makes sense given his 4.29 speed.

He was effective in that field-stretching role, scoring well in yards per route run (Y/RR) on both deep (20+ yards downfield) and intermediate (10-20 yards) routes.

However, he was not as effective on routes within 10 yards of, or behind the line of scrimmage, and as evidenced by his targets per route run, which ranked 73rd out of 91 eligible receivers, he was not a high volume player or a go-to guy within the Packers offense.

Much like Christian Watson earlier in his career, the ability to take the top off a defense is clearly there with Golden, but in 2026 and beyond, he needs to become more of a chain-moving presence in the offense, having ranked below average in first downs per route run as a rookie.

In fairness to Golden, it is likely more of an opportunity issue than a lack of ability, as on tape he was one of the best route runners on the team, so there is no reason he cannot excel at all levels of the field, including on short passes.

If anything, the Packers would be wise to stop miscasting him in a YAC-centric role. Despite ranking in the 76th percentile in missed tackles forced per reception, Golden is better before the catch than after it. He ranked in just the 21st percentile in Y/RR on screen passes.

Having Jayden Reed healthy again should help in that regard, as he should resume his role as the slot receiver and primary target of Green Bay's quick hitters in the passing game. Golden played in the slot 41.6% of the time as a rookie, a higher rate than in any of his college seasons.

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Golden's impressive Y/RR against man bodes well for the future, and combines well with his ability to threaten over the top, giving Green Bay answers when teams decide to challenge their receivers.

Conversely, his below average Y/RR versus zone again speaks to the need to use him in more ways where he can keep the offense moving, rather than just a deep threat.

For his part, Golden needs to continue to earn the coaching staff's trust, as there have been suggestions he had a fair few rookie moments throughout the year, manifesting in him running incorrect routes. As he gets more comfortable in the offense, he should become more of a focal point.

Earning the trust of his quarterback is also key for a young receiver, and Golden will have done that by rewarding Jordan Love for looking his way, dropping just one of his 46 targets and bringing in four of his six contested targets. Golden's hands and ability to adjust to the ball were noteworthy.

A quirk of his rookie year was an inability to find the end zone, with Golden having to wait until the postseason loss to Chicago to finally score his first touchdown as a pro.

There were plenty of times where he was open to potentially score, but for one reason or another the ball did not come his way, and in general, the Packers offense did not appear to be looking to feature Golden once they got into the red zone. We will see if that changes in 2026.

One area Golden must improve in 2026 is his run blocking, which is famously important for receivers in Matt LaFleur's offense to get on the field. He ranked 104th out of 142 eligible receivers as a rookie with a 47.1 PFF grade as a run blocker.

He is not an especially big receiver, so run blocking will likely never be a true strength of his game, but it is an area for him to continue to focus on moving forward.

Entering Year 2, the hope for Golden is that he is able to expand his role within the offense and get the opportunity to show his first round pedigree more consistently.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Matthew Golden analysis: Stats show bright spots and areas to improve

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