GREEN BAY – You have to give it to Brian Gutekunst for his sense of humor.

Not long after Thursday night's first round of the NFL Draft concluded, the Packers' general manager was meeting with the media to discuss his selection of Texas wideout Matthew Golden with the No. 23 overall pick. He was immediately asked about the significance of ending the franchise's 23-year, first-round receiver drought.

There was no getting around the history. When the pick was made, retiring President/CEO Mark Murphy had even gone out of his way at the podium to announce to the 205,000 hearty souls on the Lambeau Field campus – the official attendance according to the NFL – that the drought was over, which as he read Golden's name generated a roar from the crowd unlike any heard around here in, well … maybe ever, given the sheer volume of people.

So in the spirit of putting to bed a two-decade-plus-long line of draft questioning in Green Bay, Gutekunst couldn't resist joking that he didn't actually do what everyone thought he just did. His boss had simply gone rogue.

"Well, I really sent in a different name," Gutekunst deadpanned, "but Mark just announced what he announced."

That's a heckuva line to come up with on the spot, especially considering Gutekunst had just gone through an admittedly busy and fast-flying 10 minutes on the clock.

He said he was considering multiple names on the draft board while also fielding possible trade calls, which must've included some serious discussions considering both the No. 25 and 26 picks shortly after Green Bay's were indeed traded.

So in the intensity of the moment, Gutekunst wasn't even thinking about the wide receiver history – from two GMs ago, back in 2002, with Javon Walker – when he decided on Golden. But after hearing Murphy's announcement and the reaction outside, he confessed, "It was just kind of like wow, that's pretty neat."

It sure was, which gives Golden a lot to live up to, but the 21-year-old speedster wouldn't have it any other way. He brushed off the idea of the pressure that comes with his selection while acknowledging the history attached to it is pretty special.

Gutekunst certainly believes he's chosen a special player. He mentioned how the 5-11, 191-pound Golden is "wired" the right way, "knows who he is," and has battled his own share of family adversity, which seems to fuel him.

In the pre-draft process, Golden was pegged as the fastest receiver in the draft after clocking a 4.29-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. In the Packers' offense, that alone will help make up for Christian Watson's absence until the fourth-year pro completes his rehab from knee surgery later this fall.

Golden will have to compete, too, because for all the outside talk about need at receiver after the Packers' young group didn't make all the strides expected in 2024, it's not as though Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks are finished products. They're still developing and coming into their own, and they aren't just going to step aside, either.

The competition should be pretty fascinating to watch, really.

It'll be nothing new for Golden, who took a step up last year by transferring from Houston to Texas. He then emerged as the Longhorns' No. 1 threat over another highly touted transfer, Alabama's Isaiah Bond. He will push, and be pushed.

"It took a few games to get going, and once they kind of realized what they had, then it just took off and he became a major part of what they were doing," Gutekunst said.

The numbers bear that out, as Golden topped 50 receiving yards just twice in his first eight games with Texas last year, then did so six times over the final eight games, including two monster performances in the SEC title game and CFP quarterfinal, totaling over 300 yards in those contests.

Everything about Golden, who bypassed his final year of college eligibility, says he's on an upward trajectory that will start with contributing as a rookie but should only keep ascending from there.

"He's not at his ceiling," Gutekunst said.

It might be hard for the GM to top that opening joke, though. On a night that made Green Bay history in multiple ways, that was pretty good, too.