There are a few very common players that have been mocked to the Denver Broncos in Round 1, but this mock draft brings forth a different prospect. The latest mock draft from Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post does have an interesting player mocked to Denver in the first round, and it's absolutely worth talking about.
Schad mocked Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden to the Broncos with the 20th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. For the most part, we have mostly seen players like Colston Loveland, Tyler Warren, and even Derrick Harmon mocked to Denver in Round 1.
There have also been some high-profile mock drafts with a top safety heading to the team at pick 20. While most of us consume mock drafts, they are usually inaccurate, especially when they come before free agency. We have no idea what needs the Broncos will satisfy in the FA period.
Does Matthew Golden fit the Denver Broncos?
They could sign another free agent safety and not need one in the first round, and they could even sign someone like Chris Godwin to avoid having to take a first-round WR. But who is Matthew Golden? He is a 6'0", 195 pound junior who racked up 58 receptions for 987 yards and nine touchdowns with the Longhorns in the 2024 season.
He transferred over from Houston. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compares Golden to Chris Olave at the NFL level and also has this to say about the player:
"Golden works all three levels of the field with similar consistency and productivity. His route-running needs refinement, but he does a decent job of altering tempo and separating at break points. Golden has the ability to play all three receiver spots. He also has the agility and body control to turn near-misses into highlight catches. Focus drops still pepper his play, but he’s a willing participant in traffic and took command of contested catches with better physicality and catch strength in 2024. Golden’s starting-level traits and big leap forward as a go-to playmaker have him primed to become a productive catch-maker with the potential to develop into a WR1 in the future. "Lance Zierlein
There seems to be a lot to like about Golden, and he has constantly been mocked in the first round, so this could be a very strong pick for Denver. If they did take a first-round wide receiver, I would have to assume that positions like running back, tight end, safety, and defensive tackle were addressed in free agency.
Sean Payton is on record saying that the WR room in Denver is better than people think, so it might be unlikely overall that the Broncos plan on taking one in the first round, but you just never know. The main point here though is that the Broncos absolutely need to get more playmakers on offense for Bo Nix.
The unit as whole will not take steps forward unless they have more talented players.