Golden brings three seasons of collegiate experience to the NFL, with 134 receptions, 1,975 yards and 22 touchdown catches to show for his time split between Houston and Texas. He's got speed for days and clocked a 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, tops among all wideouts.

The Packers will need that dynamism on the field, especially as Christian Watson works his way back from the torn ACL he suffered in the final week of the regular season. But there's more to Green Bay's decision than Watson's injury. Despite fielding the league's 12th-ranked passing offense in 2024, the team was plagued by mistakes; the Packers had a miserable 6.9% drop rate, second-worst in the NFL.

Jayden Reed led the team in receptions (55) and receiving yards (857) and had six TD catches, but he dealt with some nagging injuries that contributed to him tailing off toward the end of the season. Although Romeo Doubs was sturdy with a 46-601-4 stat line, Green Bay suspended him for a game midseason and he also suffered two concussions in a two-month span. Dontayvion Wicks , seemingly able to get open at will, still only mustered a 51.3 catch percentage.

Stocked with complementary pieces but in need of a boost after stagnating offensively in the latter months of 2024, it makes sense the Packers shirked tradition to take Golden early. In fact, they focused solely on offense over the draft's first two days, selecting offensive lineman Anthony Belton in Round 2 and another wide receiver, Savion Williams , in Round 3.

The hierarchal shuffle of the WR corps will be fascinating to watch over the coming months, but one thing remains certain: Golden is expected to burn.