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Rob Demovsky
GREEN BAY, Wis. — It’s hard to say which was more stunning: the surreal sight of the NFL draft in the league’s smallest city or the fact that the host Green Bay Packers broke a two-decade-plus streak of skipping on receivers in the first round.
Much to the delight of the Packers-heavy crowd jammed between Lambeau Field and the draft stage, the home team selected receiver Matthew Golden of Texas with the 23rd pick in the draft. It was the first time since 2002 (with Javon Walker) that Green Bay used a first-round pick on a receiver.
As soon as team president Mark Murphy, who announced the pick, began by saying “for the first time since 2002 …” there was bedlam in the crowd.
Golden even took to the stage and shouted: “Green Bay, it’s time.”
For years, fans have pined for the Packers to take a receiver in the first round, but it’s not as if the team ignored receivers early in the draft. General manager Brian Gutekunst has twice used second-round picks on the position (Christian Watson in 2022 and Jayden Reed in 2023). Previous GM Ted Thompson also hit on second-round receivers (Greg Jennings in 2006, Jordy Nelson in 2008, Randall Cobb in 2011 and Davante Adams in 2014) since the Packers last used a first-round pick under then-coach and GM Mike Sherman. Before that, Ron Wolf found success with later-round receivers like Robert Brooks (third round in 1992), Antonio Freeman (third round in 1995) and Donald Driver (seventh round in 1999).
“I will say this: In no time in my 20-some years within this organization, whether it was Ron or Ted, did I hear them talk about that as a philosophy,” Gutekunst said earlier this offseason when asked if the Packers intentionally avoid receivers in the first round. “I know Ron talked a lot about being mad he didn’t take Randy Moss, you know what I mean?
“No one’s ever really talked about. I never really looked at it that way. I don’t think we’d ever hesitate to take a receiver in the first round if the right one was there. We certainly talked about it at different times in the last seven years since I’ve been in this spot, trying to make that happen. So, I don’t really look at it as a philosophical thing. I will say we’ve hit on a lot of second-round receivers. There’s been a lot of guys that we’ve taken in that group that have become really, really good players for us. Not only us but throughout the league.”
Even before commissioner Roger Goodell took the stage to announce the start of the draft at 7 p.m. local time, the stage area had reached maximum capacity and entry was temporarily paused. Predraft estimates had a crowd total of around 250,000 for the three days of the draft — more than twice the population of the city.
The Packers had a need at receiver after losing Watson, their deep-threat receiver, to a torn ACL late in the season. It gives quarterback Jordan Love something Aaron Rodgers never had: a first-round pick drafted to Green Bay.
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