With the offseason in overdrive and draft season really heating up with the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis just a week away, there is so much focus on draft prospects, potential fits and team needs as the calendar flies by.
For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the areas of need are pretty clear at this point when it comes to the 2025 NFL Draft. That would be defensive line, wide receiver, cornerback, and running back. You could even throw in quarterback there, though it doesn’t seem like the Steelers will be in the mix for Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders in the class.
So, with defensive line, wide receiver, cornerback and running back leading the way as far as biggest needs in the draft as we sit here today, plenty of players across the board have been mocked to the Steelers one time or another, from Oregon’s Derrick Harmon and Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen, to Missouri’s Luther Burden III and Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, to Texas’ Jahdae Barron and most recently Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.
However, in the mock draft simulator that Pro Football Focus runs, there is one player who is consistently mocked to the Steelers. That would be Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden.
“Golden is a talented player whose movement skills should translate well to the NFL. His advanced avenues of success — whether through beating press, impressive footwork, after-the-catch ability or kick-return prowess — make him a player who could be a high-end WR2 in the league,” PFF writes regarding Golden as the most-mocked player to the Steelers so far this offseason.
Since the Steelers’ season came to a disappointing close in a 28-14 loss in the AFC Wild Card Round to the Baltimore Ravens, many have connected the Steelers to a wide receiver, whether that’s via trade, free agency, or in the draft. Time and time again, Golden has been connected to the Steelers when it comes to the draft.
In Daniel Jeremiah’s first mock draft of the offseason on Jan. 25, he had the Steelers selecting Golden at No. 21 overall, calling him a professional route runner with outstanding hands and toughness.
Steelers Depot’s Jim Hester, in his scouting report of Golden for the site, compared Golden to former Green Bay Packers receiver Greg Jennings.
“Golden can play all receiver positions due to his versatility, ability to win downfield, route running, and explosiveness. He is truly a weapon on offense, dependable, and can be relied upon to get open in any area of the field. There is no system where he wouldn’t fit in seamlessly. To say whether he can be a No. 1 WR option on a team eventually is debatable, but he can come in and be a high-impact starter right away. Golden showed a lot of similarities to Greg Jennings this past year at Texas,” Hester writes.
In his career at both Texas and Houston, Golden amassed 134 receptions for 1,975 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also returned kicks, with two kick-return TDs in 2023. During the 2024 season at Texas, Golden hauled in 58 receptions for 987 yards and nine TDs, helping lead the Longhorns to the College Football Playoffs once again.
Outside of George Pickens and Calvin Austin III, the Steelers need a major boost at wide receiver. Second-year pro Roman Wilson is a complete unknown after missing his entire rookie season due to injury. Van Jefferson was one of the worst No. 2 receivers in recent NFL history considering he played more than 700 snaps and had minimal output.
Mike Williams is a free agent, as is Ben Skowronek, who was more of a special teams weapon than a key receiver. So, the Steelers have their work cut out for them at the position and need some major help.
Golden could provide that in the first round, depending on how the board shakes out.
