The Buffalo Bills have been making waves in the 2024 NFL season by outperforming expectations. Despite the absence of star wide receiver Stefon Diggs and entering what many assumed would be a rebuilding year, the team captured its fifth consecutive AFC East championship. Central to their success was a team-first philosophy dubbed “Everybody Eats,” which focuses on spreading the ball around and giving multiple players the opportunity to contribute on offense. This mantra has evidently shaped the organization’s approach heading into the 2025 NFL Draft.
NFL analyst Chad Reuter recently released a comprehensive five-round mock draft and projected a bold move for Buffalo in the first round. According to Reuter, general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott are expected to make an aggressive play by trading up in the draft order. Specifically, the Bills are predicted to strike a deal with the Baltimore Ravens to move up three spots to the 27th overall pick. The purpose of this maneuver? To snag one of two dynamic wide receivers from Texas—Matthew Golden or Isaiah Bond—who combined for 14 touchdowns during the 2024 college football season.
Reuter emphasized the need for a vertical threat to complement Buffalo’s current receiving corps. “Buffalo could really use a downfield playmaker in this draft,” he noted, suggesting that either Golden or Bond would be a valuable addition to their offensive arsenal. In Reuter’s mock scenario, the Bills part with a fourth-round selection in exchange for Baltimore’s sixth-rounder to facilitate the modest jump in the draft order.
The potential addition of a talented deep threat aligns with the team’s continued commitment to its “Everybody Eats” strategy. With no single player hoarding all the targets, the Bills aim to build a balanced offense that can adapt and exploit defensive mismatches. Incorporating a playmaker like Golden or Bond would not only provide quarterback Josh Allen with more firepower but also keep opposing defenses guessing on every snap.
Meanwhile, wide receiver Matthew Golden has also attracted significant attention from other teams, most notably the Dallas Cowboys. ESPN’s Matt Miller recently proposed a hypothetical draft scenario where Dallas selects Golden with the 12th overall pick. Miller argued that the Cowboys’ priority should be enhancing their offensive options to support quarterback Dak Prescott, and Golden would fit the bill as an explosive weapon.
According to Miller, “The Cowboys’ draft plan should revolve around building up the offense and adding more playmakers for quarterback Dak Prescott. They would do just that in this mock with the explosive Golden at wide receiver.” Golden’s blend of speed, route-running, and playmaking ability makes him a highly coveted prospect with the potential to make an immediate impact in the NFL.
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah echoed similar sentiments in his own mock draft. Like Miller, he believes Golden could be a perfect complement to Cowboys star receiver CeeDee Lamb. In his view, the former Texas Longhorn possesses more than just top-tier speed—he brings an overall skillset capable of exposing defenses that fail to account for his versatility and football IQ. Jeremiah suggests that Golden wouldn’t just be a secondary option behind Lamb, but a legitimate threat in his own right who can consistently stretch the field and challenge coverage schemes.
Golden’s growing popularity among NFL scouts and analysts reinforces the importance of Buffalo’s urgency to move up in the draft. With teams like Dallas showing serious interest, the Bills might feel the pressure to act fast and secure their preferred target before someone else does. The front office’s willingness to trade up signals that they’re not content with merely maintaining their recent success—they’re looking to elevate their offense to another level.
What makes Golden particularly appealing to teams like the Bills and Cowboys is his proven productivity in college and his potential for growth. During his time at Texas, he developed a reputation for creating separation with ease and making big plays downfield. That ability to break open a game is exactly what teams seek in a wide receiver, especially in today’s pass-heavy NFL.
As the draft draws nearer, speculation will only intensify around teams like Buffalo and Dallas. The competition for elite receiving talent in the first round is fierce, and prospects like Golden and Bond are quickly rising up draft boards. For the Bills, the decision to trade up could mark a turning point—adding an explosive wideout may be the missing piece that takes their offense from formidable to unstoppable.
Adding a player of Golden’s caliber would also take some pressure off existing Bills pass-catchers, such as tight end Dalton Kincaid and wideout Khalil Shakir, both of whom have shown flashes of potential but haven’t yet established themselves as consistent game-changers. With a more balanced receiver room and another vertical threat, Buffalo would have the tools to spread the ball even more effectively and keep defenses off-balance.
On the Cowboys’ side, the addition of Golden would provide Dak Prescott with a much-needed boost after a season that saw Dallas’s offense struggle with consistency at times. Pairing Golden with Lamb could recreate the type of one-two punch that defined some of the league’s top offenses in recent years. With Golden’s ability to win both outside and in the slot, he could fit seamlessly into the Cowboys’ system.
Ultimately, the race to draft Matthew Golden could become one of the most intriguing storylines of the 2025 NFL Draft’s opening round. Whether it’s Buffalo trading up to make him part of their “Everybody Eats” approach or Dallas landing another weapon to aid Prescott, one thing is clear—Golden is in high demand. And for the Bills, moving decisively to land a top-tier wide receiver might be the key to sustaining their momentum and pushing deeper into the playoffs next season.
