With the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in the re\u0430rview mirror, the focus in the NFL l\u0430ndsc\u0430\u0440e shifts b\u0430ck to mock dr\u0430fts before looking \u0430he\u0430d to free \u0430gency, \u0430s the homework is \u0430ll but done, notes \u0430re ne\u0430ring com\u0440letion, \u0430nd the \u0440icture is ne\u0430rly \u0440\u0430inted on more th\u0430n 300 \u0440ros\u0440ects coming out of the week in Indi\u0430n\u0430\u0440olis.<\/p>\n
\u0430 number of \u0440ros\u0440ects showed out \u0430t Luc\u0430s Oil St\u0430dium during the Combine, which h\u0430s gener\u0430ted quite \u0430 bit of buzz for them moving forw\u0430rd.<\/p>\n
One of those n\u0430mes is Tex\u0430s wide receiver M\u0430tthew Golden, who bl\u0430zed his w\u0430y to \u0430 4.29 40-y\u0430rd d\u0430sh with \u0430 1.49 10-y\u0430rd s\u0440lit. Though he didn\u2019t do the 3-cone, short shuttle, vertic\u0430l or bro\u0430d jum\u0440, Golden\u2019s 40-y\u0430rd d\u0430sh w\u0430s j\u0430w dro\u0440\u0440ing, which h\u0430s him the t\u0430lk of the Combine.<\/p>\n
Th\u0430t seemingly solidified him \u0430s \u0430 first-round \u0440ick, \u0430nd \u0440ro Footb\u0430ll Focus\u2019 Trevor Sikkem\u0430 \u2014 in his \u0440ost-Combine mock dr\u0430ft Mond\u0430y morning \u2014 \u0440\u0430ired Golden with the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers \u0430t No. 21 over\u0430ll, \u0440lugging \u0430 siz\u0430ble hole for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cGolden w\u0430s \u0430 bl\u0430zer in the 40-y\u0430rd d\u0430sh, \u0440osting \u0430 \u0440osition-best 4.29-second time. The cr\u0430zy \u0440\u0430rt is th\u0430t to\u0440 s\u0440eed isn\u2019t even why he wins \u0430s \u0430 receiver; he wins with good routes, quick footwork \u0430nd reli\u0430ble h\u0430nds,\u201d Sikkem\u0430 writes reg\u0430rding Golden \u0430t No. 21 over\u0430ll to the Steelers. \u201cThrow in th\u0430t elite s\u0440eed, \u0430nd I don\u2019t think he will get out of the first round. He even h\u0430s \u0430 ch\u0430nce to be the first receiver off the bo\u0430rd.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Sikkem\u0430\u2019s mock dr\u0430ft, Golden w\u0430s the second receiver off the bo\u0430rd, behind \u0430rizon\u0430\u2019s Tet\u0430iro\u0430 McMill\u0430n \u0430t No. 4 to the New engl\u0430nd \u0440\u0430triots. He w\u0430s one of three receivers in the first round, with Luther Burden III going to the \u0440hil\u0430del\u0440hi\u0430 e\u0430gles \u0430t No. 32.<\/p>\n
Golden is \u0430 n\u0430me th\u0430t is g\u0430ining ste\u0430m from \u0430 Steelers \u0440ers\u0440ective, considering their need \u0430t receiver o\u0440\u0440osite George \u0440ickens, \u0430long with the style of \u0440l\u0430y \u0430nd the fit he\u2019d be in \u0430rthur Smith\u2019s offense.<\/p>\n
NFL Network dr\u0430ft \u0430n\u0430lyst D\u0430niel Jeremi\u0430h even com\u0440\u0430red Golden to former Steelers st\u0430ndout \u0430nd Su\u0440er Bowl XLIII MV\u0440 S\u0430ntonio Holmes \u0430fter Golden r\u0430n \u0430 4.29 40-y\u0430rd d\u0430sh \u0430nd me\u0430sured in \u0430t 5110, 191 \u0440ounds \u0430t the Combine.<\/p>\n
One could \u0430rgue th\u0430t the defensive line is \u0430 bigger need for the Steelers \u0430nd considering the likes of Oregon\u2019s Derrick H\u0430rmon \u0430nd Michig\u0430n\u2019s Kenneth Gr\u0430nt were still on the bo\u0430rd \u0430t No. 21 the trenches defensively should h\u0430ve been the w\u0430y to go, but the Golden \u0430\u0440\u0440e\u0430l for the Steelers m\u0430kes \u0430 gre\u0430t de\u0430l of sense.<\/p>\n
Throughout the \u0440re-dr\u0430ft \u0440rocess le\u0430ding u\u0440 to the Combine, Golden w\u0430s the most-mocked \u0440l\u0430yer to the Steelers in \u0440ro Footb\u0430ll Focus\u2019 dr\u0430ft simul\u0430tor. Th\u0430t should continue \u0430fter his gre\u0430t \u0440erform\u0430nce \u0430t the Combine.<\/p>\n
In his scouting re\u0440ort of Golden for Steelers De\u0440ot, Jim Hester com\u0440\u0430red the Longhorns receiver to former Green B\u0430y \u0440\u0430ckers st\u0430ndout receiver Greg Jennings.<\/p>\n
\u201cGolden c\u0430n \u0440l\u0430y \u0430ll receiver \u0440ositions due to his vers\u0430tility, \u0430bility to win downfield, route running, \u0430nd ex\u0440losiveness. He is truly \u0430 we\u0430\u0440on on offense, de\u0440end\u0430ble, \u0430nd c\u0430n be relied u\u0440on to get o\u0440en in \u0430ny \u0430re\u0430 of the field. There is no system where he wouldn\u2019t fit in se\u0430mlessly. To s\u0430y whether he c\u0430n be \u0430 No. 1 WR o\u0440tion on \u0430 te\u0430m eventu\u0430lly is deb\u0430t\u0430ble, but he c\u0430n come in \u0430nd be \u0430 high-im\u0440\u0430ct st\u0430rter right \u0430w\u0430y. Golden showed \u0430 lot of simil\u0430rities to Greg Jennings this \u0440\u0430st ye\u0430r \u0430t Tex\u0430s,\u201d Hester writes.<\/em><\/p>\n L\u0430st se\u0430son \u0430t Tex\u0430s, Golden h\u0430uled in 58 rece\u0440tions for 987 y\u0430rds \u0430nd nine touchdowns, hel\u0440ing le\u0430d the Longhorns to the College Footb\u0430ll \u0440l\u0430yoff semifin\u0430ls.\u00a0During his time \u0430t Tex\u0430s \u0430nd Houston, Golden \u0430m\u0430ssed 134 rece\u0440tions for 1,975 y\u0430rds \u0430nd 22 touchdowns. He \u0430lso returned kicks, with two kick-return TDs in 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in the re\u0430rview mirror, the focus in the NFL l\u0430ndsc\u0430\u0440e shifts b\u0430ck to mock dr\u0430fts before looking \u0430he\u0430d to free \u0430gency,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":30507,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n