49ers: 5 players with the most on the line for the 2018 season

5. T Mike McGlinchey

The San Francisco 49ers entered the 2018 NFL Draft with needs at multiple positions, including edge rusher, inside linebacker and wide receiver. One position that didn’t require immediate attention was offensive tackle, since both of the 49ers’ starting tackles from 2017 — Joe Staley and Trent Brown — were signed through the 2018 season.

Instead of addressing one of these immediate areas of need, Lynch and Shanahan drafted Notre Dame tackle Mike McGlinchey with the ninth overall pick in the draft. The 49ers then fixed their “problem” of having three starting tackles by trading starting right tackle Trent Brown to the New England Patriots for relatively minimal compensation.

While Brown isn’t a prototypical tackle for Shanahan’s running game, he is one of the best pass-blocking tackles in the league; last season, Brown’s 84.7 pass block grade from Pro Football Focus was the eighth-highest grade in the NFL, ranking one spot above fellow starting tackle Staley.

In college, McGlinchey was known specifically for his run-blocking ability, and should be a downgrade for the 49ers on passing downs this season:

Lynch and Shanahan drafted McGlinchey to eventually replace the aging Staley at left tackle, and because they didn’t view Brown — who is in the final year of his rookie deal — as a part of the team’s long-term plans.

The 49ers’ front office was looking toward the future when they selected McGlinchey, but did they create an unnecessary short-term problem for the team in the process?

The team’s top priority should be protecting their new expensive quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo. In 2018, McGlinchey will need to keep his franchise QB upright — while adding significant value to the 49ers’ running game — in order to show that Lynch and Shanahan didn’t make a mistake with their 2018 first-round selection.