The 49ers aren’t going to bring Mike McGlinchey along at a slow pace.
By the time Game 1 of 2018 kicks off, the team expects the former Notre Dame standout to be starting at right tackle.
Steve Wyche of the NFL Network reported this week that Niners general manager John Lynch has loved what he’s seen of McGlinchey so far in organized team activities (OTAs) and believes the ninth overall pick in this year’s NFL draft will make an immediate impact.
“It’s hard to judge offensive linemen in OTAs because they’re not in pads and the contact is very limited, but Lynch is through-the-moon excited about McGlinchey,” Wyche said, according to a transcript of the report on 247sports.com. “He said he is a plug-and-play draft pick. He’s going to come in and start at right tackle. He said McGlinchey is so excited to get in there and compete. Everybody can sense it. They know they’ve got a player there.”
McGlinchey is expected to win the starting job at right tackle, taking over for Trent Brown. Brown was injured late last season and was traded to the Patriots to make room for McGlinchey, a 6-foot-8, 309-pounder who was graded by many as the best offensive tackle in this year’s draft.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan said McGlinchey was the prospect he and Lynch most wanted, all along, with their top draft choice. The team, in fact, stayed very quiet about McGlinchey in the weeks and days leading up to his selection. The 49ers didn’t want to focus attention on McGlinchey and push up his stock value to alert other teams. Even McGlinchey was surprised the 49ers selected him.
On draft day, Lynch said McGlinchey stood out for a number of reasons.
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“You go into the makeup of the kid, and he’s one of the smartest kids in the draft,” Lynch told a reporter. “In our combine interview, he was one of the top interviews in terms of presence. He was a two-time captain at Notre Dame and started 39 straight games. He’s got a special presence to him. He’s real, authentic and he’s a bad ass. We like him.”
Wyche said if McGlinchey is as good as Lynch and Shanahan believe he can be, the 49ers passing and running attacks can be much better in 2018.
“Protecting Jimmy Garoppolo is the No. 1 priority, but also it’s establishing the running game with Jerick McKinnon and Matt Breida, the two speedsters … they really want to have this mixed rushing attack,” Wyche said. “Think of the Atlanta Falcons, what they had with Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. That’s what Kyle Shanahan really wants to expect. McGlinchey’s the guy with Joe Staley at bookend tackles they really feel can lead the way.”
