Texas WR Visited Lions for Pre-Draft Meeting

Lions host Matthew Golden on pre-draft visit.

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden (2). | Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions brought in one of the top wide receiver talents in the 2025 NFL Draft for a visit over the weekend.

Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, who transferred from Houston prior to the 2024 season and notched a career-best 987 receiving yards in his season with the Longhorns, visited the Lions over the weekend, according to a report from NFL media.

Golden is the second-ranked wide receiver and No. 15 overall prospect according to NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler. At 5-foot-11, Golden doesn't have ideal size but makes up for it with dynamic route-running and great speed, as evidenced by his 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.

"Overall, it might bother some teams that he doesn’t have better size, but Golden also doesn’t have any glaring flaws to his game that would keep him from becoming a productive pro," Brugler wrote. "He can play inside or outside and become the go-to target for an NFL offense."

Dan Campbell explained that the team was looking to potentially add young talent at the position during his media availability at the NFL League Meetings, and Golden could be a player the Lions target in the first round.

Currently, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams headline the depth chart with Tim Patrick and Kalif Raymond also providing veteran depth.

In his first two collegiate seasons at Houston, Golden notched 76 catches for 988 yards and 13 touchdowns. After transferring to Texas, he hauled in 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns. He helped the Longhorns reach the College Football Playoff semi-finals.

The Lions have hosted one other reported wide receiver on a pre-draft visit, as Arkansas wideout Isaac TeSlaa visited the team's facility. TeSlaa's is a Hudsonville, Michigan native who dominated at Division II Hillsdale before transferring to Arkansas.

Visits:
— The #Commanders are set to host #Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston and #Louisville CB Quincy Riley on Top 30 visits tomorrow.
— The #Lions hosted #Texas WR Matthew Golden over the weekend.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 14, 2025