Matthew Golden, Texas: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Golden was a four-star recruit from Klein Cain High School in Klein, Texas in the class of 2022

Every NFL Draft fan is familiar with Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond, but his teammate Matthew Golden also projects as a top 100 selection in 2025. Golden is a natural separator with excellent athletic traits.

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Matthew Golden, WR Texas: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior wide receiver from Houston, Texas

Background: Golden was a four-star recruit from Klein Cain High School in Klein, Texas in the class of 2022. He was the No. 210 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 176 for On3.com. Golden was an unranked four-star recruit for Rivals. ESPN ranked him 259th in the nation with an 81 grade out of 100. He originally committed to TCU before flipping to Houston. Golden transferred from Houston to Texas for the 2024 season. As a senior, he totaled 74 receptions, 1,416 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns to accompany nine punts for 231 yards. Golden finished his career with 504 total return yards. He was a First Team All-District 15-6A selection and a 6A All-State honorable mention for the Texas Sports Writers Association. Golden amassed 43 receptions for 1,027 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior. He also punted 18 times for 724 yards and returned 13 kicks for 198 yards to earn Texas District 15-6A Special Teams Player of the Year honors. Golden caught 50 passes for 799 yards and 13 touchdowns and returned seven kicks for 172 yards as a sophomore. He was a First Team District 15-6A selection as a receiver and kick returner. Golden also scored four rushing touchdowns and a punt return touchdown in his high school career. He competed in track and field, posting a 10.93 100-meter dash and a 21-8.5 long jump.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed two games in 2022 with a rib injury, sustained a minor groin injury vs. West Virginia (2023), missed final three games in 2023 while undergoing surgery for turf toe

Awards: 2023 Second Team All-Big 12 (KR/PR), 2023 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year

Pros: Two kick return touchdowns in 2023, long speed shows up on kick returns, experience operating out wide and in the slot, arm length might check the box, impressive agility, fast footwork, agility and footwork support release package, difficult for pressing corners to pin down, sudden deceleration and re-acceleration, worth scheming touches for, excellent burst off the line, speed to blow past off-man defenders, speed to quicky out-leverage zone coverage up the seam, good short to intermediate route tree, breaks down and shakes the corner at the top of the stem, good hip sink and bend at the top of the route, decelerates quickly for sharp comebacks and curls, stems posts outside before breaking inside, athletic profile to toast open field coverages like two-high shells on post routes, subtle push offs at top of stem, rolls with the QB on broken plays, tracks the ball well over his shoulder, sets his blockers up well on screens, burst helps him knife through defenses, erases some angles, punishes DBs who take steep angles, willing blocker

Cons: Penalized three times in 2023, lacks ideal frame, needs to add some more weight to his frame, arm length is far from elite, benefited from schemed touches, limited snaps vs. hard press, room to diversify release package, releases rely heavily on stutter-steps and raw athleticism, struggles to break through press coverage when CB gets into his frame, must work back down the stem to prevent DBs from undercutting comebacks, limited downfield production, ten drops in 2022 and 2023 combined, some passes just slip through his hands, lacks mass to break tackles with power, lacks play strength to sustain blocks

Overview: Golden lacks the ideal frame for a receiver who operates in the slot and outside in the NFL, even though he has experience with both roles in college. He needs to add weight to prepare for NFL-caliber physicality. Golden’s arm length might meet thresholds but falls far short of elite. He is an experienced kick returner who took two kicks back for scores in 2023. Many of his best athletic traits show up on returns and schemed touches. Golden’s long speed flashes on special teams, and his agility and footwork pop during his releases. He hasn’t faced hard press coverage often in college and still needs to diversify his release package, which primarily relies on stutter-steps and raw athleticism. Golden lacks the play strength to break through press coverage consistently when corners get into his frame. However, his agility and loose movements make him a difficult receiver for press corners to pin down. The junior’s excellent burst off the line, sudden deceleration and re-acceleration, and speed to torch off-man defenders make him a dynamic weapon. Defenses struggle to keep him bracketed up the seam. Golden’s route tree is well-developed at the short to intermediate levels, but he doesn’t have much downfield production. He uses his quick feet to decelerate and shake corners at the top of the stem with route fakes and stutter steps before sinking his hips, bending into his break, and reaccelerating. The Texas native runs sharp comebacks and curls but doesn’t work back down the stem to meet the ball consistently. He subtly pushes off at the top of the stem when he feels the coverage is too tight. Golden stems vertical routes outside like they’re corners before snapping back inside on posts. His athletic profile makes him a lethal weapon against two-high open field coverages. Golden tracks the ball well on downfield routes but suffers from recurring drops. He lacks the mass to break tackles after the catch but uses his background as a return man to set up blockers and knife through defenses. Golden’s acceleration punishes defensive backs who take poor pursuit angles. He is a willing blocker but lacks the play strength to sustain blocks.

Overall, Golden possesses the speed and sudden burst to create big plays and has the agility to separate with sharp route running. He turns into a return man with the ball in his hands, which makes him an ideal candidate for schemed touches. Golden needs to fill out his release package, become stronger to combat NFL physicality, and provide a more consistent option on downfield routes.

Role & Scheme Fit: Featured slot receiver in an 11 personnel scheme

Round Grade: Late Second to Mid Third Round

Size: 6'0", 195 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 08-18-24