All eyes will be on former Packers first-round pick Matthew Golden making a leap at wide receiver in 2026, but the speedy wide receiver may not be Green Bay’s most important second-year player.
Packers’ Nick Belton must step up in 2026
Over at Bleacher Report, NFL analyst Brad Gagnon argues that offensive guard Nick Belton, not Golden, will be vitally important this fall.
“This is a toss-up between Belton—the team’s second-round pick—and first-rounder Matthew Golden,” Gagnon writes for B/R. “Neither made major impacts last season, but it looks as though Belton will be locked into a starting guard spot after jumping from a reserve tackle role into that spot down the stretch in 2025.
“They’ll want Golden to make more plays in 2026, but at least there’s a crowd in the receiver corps. Belton has a lot more on his shoulders.”
Golden will certainly get his opportunities to carve out a niche in the passing game, to climb quarterback Jordan Love’s target hierarchy.
However, along an offensive line that experienced an overhaul this offseason, Belton proving capable up front could be monumentally important to the Packers’ offense hitting its stride.