The NFL world is in for quite the shock. Matthew Golden is undoubtedly, undeniably going to be the Green Bay Packers' breakout star this season.
But if you listen to fans of other teams, you'd think his career was over. Bust. Look at these historical numbers of rookie receivers with fewer than 400 receiving yards. Packers fans haven't paid attention to stats or the history books. We've watched Golden on the field, and, well, allow Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com to do the honors here.
"Matthew Golden is not human," Hodkiewicz wrote after the second-year receiver beat Budda Baker and Denzel Burke in coverage on a 45-yard touchdown during Wednesday's joint practice with the Arizona Cardinals.
The best part? That's just a regular Matthew Golden play from this summer. Golden's stock is soaring as we near the end of the preseason. But he's not alone.
These four Packers have soaring stock as the preseason reaches its finale
Matthew Golden
"The sky's the limit for him," Matt LaFleur said of Golden earlier this month.
It's a myth that Golden underperformed in his rookie season. While the numbers didn't meet expectations, much of that wasn't by any fault of his own. The Packers trusted Romeo Doubs as their go-to possession receiver, Jayden Reed (when healthy) in the slot, and Christian Watson as the big-play threat.
Add in Dontayvion Wicks, and the opportunities were tough to come by for Golden as part of a spread-the-ball-around offense.
Doubs and Wicks are gone. Reed remains in an almost exclusively slot-only role, and it's Golden playing in the X role as a starter with Watson. The breakout lights are flashing brighter than ever.
Golden has the best hands on the team. He has the speed and athleticism the Packers covet, but he's more than just a deep threat. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich put it best by saying Golden has been "burning routes" with "violence" this summer. It's the perfect description.
"He absolutely looks ready to explode," Cheesehead TV's Aaron Nagler said.
The MVP of training camp? It's Golden.
Brandon Cisse
It was clear from the moment the Packers drafted Brandon Cisse that he had the tools to compete for a starting role early in his career. But even the most optimistic fans couldn't have expected him to look this good so soon.
Cisse hasn't been perfect. He's faced a steep learning curve when matched up against Christian Watson. Marvin Harrison Jr. hauled in a stunning touchdown catch against the rookie during Wednesday's joint practice. It happens.
But Cisse has more than held his own. He looks like the real deal, and it's not controversial to say the rookie is Green Bay's CB1. The coaching staff seems to agree, as Cisse has been the only cornerback consistently getting first-team reps over the past couple of weeks. While Keisean Nixon remains a strong favorite to start next to him, he's also spent some time with the twos and threes at practice of late.
A perfect example of Cisse's play came in a rep against Golden earlier this week. The rookie mirrored Golden's route to the back corner of the end zone before flipping around to play the ball at the perfect time.
What's most impressive is that, unlike so many rookie cornerbacks, Cisse doesn't have the tendency to grab hold of receivers and risk getting called for penalties. LaFleur said that the rookie is "mature beyond his years," and it shows up in his play.
Trey Smack
Trey Smack is an enigma, but his stock has soared since the beginning of the preseason.
The practice field has been the rookie's kryptonite from the moment he arrived in Green Bay, but he turns into Super Smack once the lights go on in a real game. Smack is perfect in two preseason games, converting all seven of his field goals. That includes kicks of 59, 58, and 51 yards. He also booted another 58-yarder that didn't stand due to a drive-extending penalty on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Most importantly, his preseason performances have earned the Packers' trust. There has been no kicking competition this summer, and Smack has secured the job.
Kamal Hadden
Kamal Hadden had no business making the 53-man roster, but here he is. The odds couldn't have been stacked against him any more than they were.
Coming off a significant injury that wiped out his entire offseason? Check. Missed the start of training camp and immediately fell behind the eight ball? Check. Had to experiment at an unfamiliar position once he returned? Checkmate.
Never tell Hadden the odds. He has thrived in his new role as a slot corner, proving he can cover Javon Bullard on the inside. Hadden had shown promise as a boundary corner when given an opportunity last season, but there aren't many snaps to go around on the outside. The Packers needed someone to step up in Bullard's absence, and Hadden has delivered.
The Packers can't afford to let him go now.
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