​Matthew Golden’s rookie season didn’t produce big numbers, and the 2025 first-round wideout now enters 2026 with the goal of truly proving himself in the Green Bay Packers’ offense. There was plenty to like on film, yet there are few examples of receivers who posted such limited production as rookies and still became high-level players. That said, Golden did break into the lineup early in 2025 before Christian Watson returned and injuries forced him down the depth chart. With those setbacks behind him and the Packers trading Dontayvion Wicks and letting Romeo Doubs leave in free agency, there should be no excuses for Golden if he isn’t productive this year.
So what should Golden be aiming for in year two? To gauge expectations, we can look at first-round receivers since 2013 who eventually became solid or better players, and then estimate their second-year production. The list includes DeAndre Hopkins, Brandin Cooks, Odell Beckham Jr., Mike Evans, Amari Cooper, Mike Williams, Calvin Ridley, D.J. Moore, Brandon Aiyuk, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Devonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Ja’Marr Chase, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Drake London, Zay Flowers, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. In their peak seasons within their first two NFL campaigns, these players averaged about 1,190 receiving yards (including postseason). The floor among them was around 774 yards (Williams), with Ridley (866), London (905), and Aiyuk (961) the only others not crossing the 1,000-yard mark.
But Green Bay’s approach is different. The Packers spread the ball around, which naturally suppresses single-player receiving totals. They haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Davante Adams departed after the 2021 season, so equating Golden to that standard would be unreasonable. This is where a metric like yards per route run (Y/RR) helps gauge efficiency. Among the 19 receivers listed earlier, their best two-year Y/RR average was about 2.09, with a floor around 1.70 (Williams), and 1.72 (Flowers), 1.73 (Aiyuk), and 1.77 (Ridley).
Encouragingly, Golden posted a 1.71 Y/RR over his first six rookie games. If his involvement in the offense hadn’t declined due to circumstances beyond his control, that figure could have risen, which bodes well for his development. For context, recent Packers receivers who found more productive second seasons—Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed—both logged just over 900 receiving yards, providing a fruitful benchmark for Golden to chase.