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The Green Bay Packers had a need at wide receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft, and in typical Brian Gutekunst fashion, it was addressed in multiple different ways.
For the first time since 2002, the Packers selected a wideout in the first round of the NFL Draft. That wideout was Matthew Golden from Texas, who was known for his playmaking ability and his blazing 4.29 speed.
As mentioned, Gutekunst has taken a liking to taking multiple swings at one position of need in the draft, and he did that two rounds later with the selection of TCU wideout Savion Williams.
While Golden is a true speedy wideout with game-changing speed, Williams projects to be more of a gadget player for head coach Matt LaFleur. Think of the versatility of Cordarrelle Patterson at the NFL level, and that’s the projection for Williams, who also played running back and returned kicks for TCU. Heck, he also threw a touchdown pass in 2024.
The two rookie wideouts have wildly different skillsets, but they also share similarities. Both grew up in Texas, both played high school and college ball there and the two actually crossed paths back when Golden took a recruiting visit to TCU, where WIlliams was his host.
“Me and Savion go way back,” Golden recently said, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.
They’re now both rookies for one of the most storied franchises not just in the NFL, but in sports in general. There’s also some expectations on their shoulders. The Packers drafted them in order to give Jordan Love some immediate help at wideout.
They’ll be staring at some now-veterans on the depth chart ahead of them in Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks (not to mention Christian Watson, but he’ll miss much of 2025 because of injury) but there is opportunity in that Packers wide receiver room.
They’ve been a group of a bunch of good but not great wideouts, and the Packers need great in order to truly compliment Love and All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs.
That’s why Gutekunst used massive draft capital to bring in Golden and Williams. And now, as rookies, they’ll have a chance to help each other out, much like they did at rookie minicamp.
It’s just two old friends, trying to make new impressions in the NFL.
“Trying to get the offense down together and just going through walkthroughs and stuff like that, it just feels like a full circle,” Golden said. “And to have somebody that I know, we gonna push each other each and every day. So, holding him accountable, he holding me accountable.”
That could be a powerful dynamic for the Packers in 2025 and if the Packers want to contend for a Super Bowl this upcoming season, they’ll need it to be.Â
