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Packers select wide receiver Matthew Golden with No. 23 pick in NFL draft

Jeff Roberson/AP

Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, center, poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being chosen by the Green Bay Packers with the 23rd overall pick during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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GREEN BAY (AP) — The Green Bay Packers did something in the first round of the NFL draft that they hadn’t done since 2002.

The host team for this year’s NFL draft selected a wide receiver, taking Texas’ Matthew Golden at No. 23 overall on Thursday night.

The previous time the Packers took a wide receiver in the opening round was 23 years ago when Javon Walker went 20th, and Packers outgoing president/CEO Mark Murphy let the crowd know about it when he made the announcement.

THE DROUGHT IS OVER

📺: NFL Draft on NFL Network April 24-26 pic.twitter.com/hFJFTh3jZv
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) April 25, 2025

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst even joked that he sent in a different name and "Mark just announced what he announced," leading to laughter from the assembled media.

Packers GM, Golden react to stunning 1st-round pick in Green Bay

The 21-year-old Golden is coming off an excellent junior season in which he had 58 catches for 987 yards and nine touchdowns. During nine of the Longhorns’ games, Golden averaged 20 yards per catch.

A speedster, clocking a 40-yard dash time of 4.29 seconds, Golden joins a young Packers wide receiving group. Green Bay is looking for a true No. 1 receiver with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton and Malik Heath all playing integral roles on last season's team.

Reed was the Packers’ leading receiver in 2024 with 857 yards. Watson added 620 yards and Doubs came through with 601 yards. Green Bay has not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Davante Adams in 2021.