NFL Draft Grades 2018: San Francisco 49ers select Mike McGlinchey at No. 9

The San Francisco 49ers sprung something of a surprise by selecting Mike McGlinchey ninth overall, here we grade the pick.

The San Francisco 49ers produced something of a surprise as they opted to use their ninth overall pick to protect Jimmy Garoppolo and take Notre Dame tackle Mike McGlinchey.

McGlinchey was highly touted after excelling at Notre Dame alongside guard Quenton Nelson, but tackle did not look to be an immediate need with the 49ers already having Trent Brown and Joe Staley in place at the position.

Here we examine McGlinchey, his fit with the 49ers and give San Francisco a grade for the selection.

Positives

McGlinchey’s tape is that of a player who looks like a natural fit for the zone-blocking scheme that Kyle Shanahan runs. He is of the build for the scheme at 6-7 and 309 pounds and possesses the athleticism to make blocks at the second level in the run game.

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Adept at executing double-team blocks with Nelson and just as proficient as a down blocker, McGlinchey makes a habit of keeping his head on a swivel and looking for extra work. In pass protection his footwork is good enough to mirror opposing pass rushers and McGlinchey has the power and punch in his hands to lock on before dropping the anchor.

Negatives

McGlinchey could serve to be more consistent with his anchor and will allow defenders into his pads. When unable to find his target with the punch he has struggled to deal with pass rushers who have the speed to turn the corner. He will allow his pads to rise when on the move and would also benefit from playing with more leg drive in the run game.

The Fit

The 49ers would appear to be set at the tackle position but there is continued speculation surrounding Brown’s health and durability.

Indeed, Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline reported the reason the 49ers took McGlinchey was because Brown was out of shape at mini camp and they have concerns about him following shoulder surgery.

Next: NFL Draft 2018: Grades for each first-round pick

Those issues aside, Brown is an awkward fit for the Shanahan scheme. He is a rock in pass protection but is never going to excel in space at his size and, by replacing him at right tackle, McGlinchey, the 49ers would be putting an offense that relies heavily on outside zone runs in a better position to succeed.

Grade: B