Matthew Golden NFL Draft: Ex-Jaguars RB predicts Cowboys to select Texas WR

Matthew Golden is one of the most exciting wide receiver prospects in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft class. He ran the fastest time of any player in his position at the Combine, which significantly improved his draft stock.

In fact, former Jacksonville Jaguars running back and current NFL analyst Maurice Jones-Drew has Golden being selected with the 12th-overall pick in the first round. His most recent mock draft has the Dallas Cowboys taking the Texas Longhorns star to give their offense another weapon.

Jones-Drew explained that Golden primarily played in the slot during his college football career, so pairing him with CeeDee Lamb makes sense. The Cowboys are weak in the slot currently and lack true offensive playmakers outside of Lamb. Adding a speedster would likely benefit their offense as a whole and open things up for Dak Prescott in the passing game.

Matthew Golden solves a major problem for Cowboys offense

Matthew Golden

Matthew Golden was one of the biggest winners from the 2025 NFL Combine this year. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds, which was the fastest time of any wide receiver. This has him trending up ahead of the draft and has elevated him to potentially be picked in the first half of the first round this year.

If he is available when the Dallas Cowboys are on the clock with the 12th-overall pick, he would be an ideal selection. They have consistently struggled to find a solid WR2 in their offense to pair with CeeDee Lamb, most recently with Brandin Cooks failing to solidify the role.

They moved on from Cooks during the offseason, so they are likely to target a wide receiver at some point in the draft this year. If they get the opportunity to draft Golden, he could potentially solve this issue. He can also be the big-time deep threat that their offense has been missing recently.

The Cowboys offensive roster appears relatively solid entering the 2025 NFL season, but they also lack explosive upside. Getting a home-run threat like Matthew Golden seems to be exactly what they are missing. He could theoretically take the top off of opposing defenses, giving Lamb more room to operate and stretching the field for Dak Prescott.

Jalen Tolbert and Jonathan Mingo are currently the top candidates to serve as the Cowboys' WR2 this year. Golden offers significantly more upside than both of them and adds much-needed speed to their offensive roster.