The Pittsburgh Steelers certainly need an influx of young talent on both sides of the ball. And while they are picking 21st in the 2025 NFL Draft, they’ll still be in a prime position to add a potential difference maker. Could they address the defensive line or target wide receiver?
Dan Parr went in the latter direction for the Steelers, giving them WR Matthew Golden from Texas in his first mock draft for NFL.com.
“Whoever is taking snaps at quarterback for Pittsburgh next season could use an upgraded receiving corps,” Parr wrote. “Golden can be the big-play complement to George Pickens that the Steelers have sorely lacked.”
Parr certainly isn’t wrong about the Steelers’ need for a wide receiver. Even strictly from a manpower perspective, the Steelers are likely to lose multiple receivers to free agency. Both Van Jefferson and Mike Williams will be free agents to start the league year. Even Ben Skowronek, who primarily plays on special teams, will be without a contract.
So the Steelers absolutely need more players at the position simply on a numbers basis. But they also need help there from a talent perspective. They’ve been linked in trade speculation to San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel and Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp this offseason already.
But what would Matthew Golden bring to the table? In Jim Hester’s scouting report for Steelers Depot, he highlighted Golden’s route running and separation abilities as big positives in his game. I don’t know about you, but I love the idea of a receiver who runs high-quality routes and gets open.
But perhaps Golden’s biggest positive is his ability to make spectacular catches. He’s got an enormous catch radius and tracks the ball incredibly well. So even if a defender has tight coverage, Golden can still make a big play. Just look at this play against Georgia in the 2024 SEC Championship Game.
Matthew Golden👀
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 7, 2024
Somehow, Georgia’s corner stayed with Golden on his sudden go-move. But even the tight coverage wasn’t enough as Golden stretched out to snag the ball just beyond the defender’s reach. That kind of playmaking is sorely lacking in the Steelers’ wide receiver room outside of George Pickens.
Yes, the Steelers will certainly have options at 21. But Matthew Golden certainly deserves a close look as a potential long-term star at wide receiver.
