San Francisco 49ers: How Trent Brown influenced the Mike McGlinchey pick in the 2018 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers made something of a shocking pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, going with offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey at No. 9 overall. But look at fellow OT Trent Brown and his trade to the New England Patriots, we can see why.
While most of us thought the San Francisco 49ers would grab a standout defender or Notre Dame offensive guard Quenton Nelson (if he fell) at No. 9 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, general manager John Lynch made something of a shocking pick by grabbing fellow Fighting Irish lineman, offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey, instead.
On the surface, it doesn’t make a ton of sense. After all, the Niners had two starting-caliber tackles penciled in for the upcoming season, Joe Staley and Trent Brown.
Brown is now en route to the New England Patriots, pending a physical, per reports from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Field Yates. San Francisco will get the No. 95 overall pick in the draft in return.
San Francisco 49ers
That’s why the move makes more sense than you possibly thought.
Granted, San Francisco might have been better served to go defense — Florida State’s Derwin James was available at No. 9, after all. But Brown heavily influenced the 49ers’ decision to go with McGlinchey instead.
And not for the right reasons.
Trent Brown the Wrong Scheme Fit for the 49ers
Brown, a seventh-round pick from the 2015 NFL Draft, has surely exceeded expectations and is one of the positive holdovers from the Trent Baalke era. Pass protection has been his forte, and Pro Football Focus even ranked him the No. 8 overall offensive tackle in pass blocking a year ago.
And while pass protection was great, Brown’s run blocking wasn’t. PFF gave Brown an 84.7 pass-blocking grade, whereas his run-blocking mark was a mere 50.3 — 47th among all tackles.
Plus, there’s the scheme fit. Prior to 2017, Niner Noise’s Rich Madrid broke down how Brown wasn’t the kind of player ideal for head coach Kyle Shanahan’s outside-zone running scheme. Brown’s 2017 efforts backed this up, and according to former KNBR 680 insider Kevin Jones, Shanahan wasn’t particularly pleased:
Trying to justify Mike McGlinchey: If an O-Lineman was a top 10 pick, Kyle Shanahan must think the world of him. I know for a fact Kyle wasn’t happy with the run game last year. The run game makes his O so much more effective. Plus, SF gets Jimmy Garoppolo his LT of the future
— Kevin Jones (@Mr_KevinJones) April 27, 2018
49ers Were Concerned with Trent Brown’s Health
After rising through the ranks to take on a full-time starting role in 2016, Brown subsequently missed six games last year with a number of different injuries, primarily one to his shoulder.
According to DraftAnalyst.com’s Tony Pauline, the Niners weren’t particularly happy with Brown showing up out of shape for the team’s first offseason minicamp. And according to general manager John Lynch (h/t Jennifer Lee Chan of Niners Nation), it was a bit of a challenge to keep Brown in shape during his rehab process.
Not exactly ringing words of endorsement.
So, combing through all the details, San Francisco making a move for McGlinchey, then parting ways with Brown, checks off all the “makes sense” boxes.
The 49ers get a player better suited for Shanahan’s offense, while avoiding all the scheme-fit, injury-worry and pending contract concerns Brown would have been associated with had he remained with the team.
Next: What to expect from the 49ers on Day 2 of the NFL Draft
Putting all that together, the Niners’ top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft makes all the more sense.