Shaun King: Matthew Golden Is “Box Office”
April 24th, 2025
“Jason, if you really are targeting Matthew Golden, you’re playing chess and everyone else is playing checkers.”
A man forever in Bucs lore is very much a low key savvy NFL talent evaluator.
Joe remembers years ago former Bucs quarterback Shaun King, one of but four QBs in history to lead the team to the NFC Championship game, went bananas on Twitter saying anyone who picked quarterback Zach Wilson in the first round would rue the day.
Wilson turned out to be a world-class bust for the Jets. Quite a few folks lit a match to their careers as a result.
Last year King preached from the hilltops that receiver Brian Thomas was the steal of the draft and way too many people were sleeping on him. The Jags picked Thomas and he is widely believed to be one of the better young receivers in the game after 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
In the past two days, all of a sudden respected folks with a pipeline to high offices at One Buc Palace have quickly changed their tunes, saying the Bucs would not draft an inside linebacker or corner at No. 19 tonight and instead draft a receiver.
Hhhmmm?
One receiver these fellows have linked to the Bucs is speed demon Matthew Golden of Texas. And this morning, King took to Twitter and declared that whomever selects Golden will get get one of the jewels of the draft.
King used to term “box office” to describe Golden and claimed no receiver in the draft has better hands.
The way King, a former offensive assistant at South Florida, has been dead-on with players in the draft, let’s just say Joe is sold on Golden. If Licht determines he’s the guy tonight.
Mathew Golden is BOX OFFICE best wr hands down in this draft he may go later than he should because he isn't 6'3 200+ pounds
— shaun king (@realshaunking) April 24, 2025
April 24th, 2025 at 11:45 am
A WR would be irresponsible, unless something bad is going on with Godwin
April 24th, 2025 at 11:48 am
Golden reminds me of Percy Harvin mixed with T.Hill. He constantly getting sepetation on short and intermediate routes but they usually only show the highlights if the deep passes. With that said go Defense in tound 1!
April 24th, 2025 at 11:48 am
Bucs can take BPA, whomever that ends up being.
April 24th, 2025 at 11:49 am
I would be fine with a true speed demon that Mayfield could connect with to stretch the field would be welcome. Not sure McMillan or Palmer fit that role as it turns out.
April 24th, 2025 at 12:05 pm
Something bad happened to Godwin two out three years. ACL and ankle on backwards. Those are serious. To think he will be the same is irresponsible. He and Mike are aging. If Mike’s hammies flair up we are in trouble. A WR is a need.
April 24th, 2025 at 12:13 pm
Always good to hear from ole Shaun Burger King on draft day!
April 24th, 2025 at 12:16 pm
Matthew Golden at 19. SUPERBOWL
April 24th, 2025 at 12:29 pm
Shaun King – One of 2 QBs in Bucs history to ‘lead’ the team to a LOSS in an NFC Championship game – when the defense allowed less than 10 points…..
April 24th, 2025 at 12:41 pm
Bert Emmanuel rule. Screwed out of the win by the refs or Vegas or both
April 24th, 2025 at 12:42 pm
I have never been a proponent of drafting DTs with first round picks so when the Bucs drafted Vita Vea I said to myself, “Welp, the Bucs drafted us a Coldplay album.” Sure enough, I was wrong and Vea has worked out splendidly.
I was not high on Golden at 19 mostly due to his name only entering first round conversation after his blazing 40 at the combine and his meh career stats. Those guys often do not pan out. However, the list of draft voices that I respect that are fawning over Golden just keeps getting longer so I might be okay with the Bucs using their first rounder on a Harry Styles song today. Trading out for a haul of picks has never looked better though.
April 24th, 2025 at 12:53 pm
Fantasy dorks would start 11 WRs.
April 24th, 2025 at 1:02 pm
Bucs have zero speed, and NFL Wide Receivers do not age like Steph Curry and Lebron James still being elite in their late 30’s. As good as Jalen McMillan is, he is not a number 1. Evans is 32 and gets nicked up. Godwin is 30 and gets hurt. Suggesting that getting a receiver is “irresponsible” is such a wild exaggeration. Like Calm TF down. A competent deep threat would make this offense beyond scary. GOOD TEAMS strengthen their strengths. Would I personally take Malaki Starks, or a corner? Sure. But i get the logic of a STUD receiver, and im not exactly going to cry over it if that is the direction they go round 1
April 24th, 2025 at 1:13 pm
Sean and I were together on Brian Thomas Jr. Kept feeling like he was the underrated receiver.
That being said, I liked Thomas Jr because he had both speed and size.
Too many folks get enamored with speed and forget that many times size actually is a bigger indicator of success in the NFL. If you are bigger, stronger, and taller that is just or more important than your 40 time.
You can’t be slow if you are bigger, stronger and taller. But average speed is fine.
For every Tyrek Hill speed guy that worked out, there are more John Ross’ speed guys that did not work out.
Sure Golden can be good. But he does not have elite strength, size, or wingspan. Last year, Brian Thomas Jr had better strength, size and wingspan. So he lost out on Golden on 40 time of 4.29 to 4.33.
April 24th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
Last season Evans missed time, McMillan missed time, and Godwin missed most of the season. Injuries are inevitable, and having depth at WR is vital. Not only that, but Evans likely only has 2 seasons left, and Godwin is coming off a major injury. Having our next star receiver on the roster already would be a big get.
Whoever Bucs have as BPA out of DT, Edge, WR, and DB should be the pick at 19. If it’s very close, I would lean defense and wait for WR next year. But I would totally understand going WR this year if they believe they are getting an absolute can’t-miss star.
April 24th, 2025 at 1:28 pm
Geno711 – your logic goes both ways. For every Mike Evans there are ten 6-4 guys that haven’t amounted to Jack shi. I’m 99% positive you said Devonta Smith wouldn’t be good because he’s skinny and can’t bench press 50 pounds. Can’t be worried about what-ifs and/or whatever ptsd people have of fast receivers not working out in the nfl, and I’m sure scouts that breathlessly spend hours, days, months watching film are more than keen to every conceivable contingency. The whole idea of, well we shouldn’t draft Matthew Golden because Trey Palmer sucks is not sound reasoning and not at all nuanced enough. I expect more nuance from the scouts and GM
April 24th, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Golden is an absolute stud. He’s got that Santonio Holmes and Antonio Brown type of playmaking ability. I love what JL has done so far this off-season and the Bucs are truly in position to take bpa. I would not be disappointed with Golden at 19 at all.
April 24th, 2025 at 2:16 pm
Golden is the only offensive player I’d be okay with it 19. A DT or an edge rusher wouldn’t make me sad either.
The secondary player or an inside linebacker can wait till day two and three. We get value there historically. Go with BPA and value people!
You never regret it.
April 24th, 2025 at 2:23 pm
My favorite color is maroon.
April 24th, 2025 at 3:05 pm
Golden would secure the WR position for years to come.
It would guarantee the next wave of top flight receivers.
McMillan looks like a solid #2 to go with Golden once Mike and Chris are done.
Licht is great at drafting this position.
Stick to the basics!!!
April 24th, 2025 at 3:29 pm
If the Bucs traded back and picked up an extra 3rd, or perhaps even a 2nd, it would really open up the draft in terms of who they could pick. Obviously, however, they’re going defense unless there is a huge run – but taking a top WR, when the team has a long history of losing their WR’s ever year, would not be a bad thing, regardless of what the depth chart looks like at the moment.