Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: Grading the 2018 NFL Draft class halfway through the season

By Peter Panacy

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announces a draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announces a draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 26: A video board displays an image of Mike McGlinchey of Notre Dame after he was picked #9 overall by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 26: A video board displays an image of Mike McGlinchey of Notre Dame after he was picked #9 overall by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

MIKE MCGLINCHEY. A-. . OT. Notre Dame

It was a surprise at first, but the Niners’ selection of Mike McGlinchey has turned into one of the best picks from 2018.

San Francisco moved former right tackle Trent Brown to the New England Patriots a day after the McGlinchey pickup, cementing McGlinchey’s role as a plug-and-play starter in Brown’s stead — a move to upgrade Kyle Shanahan’s run game from day one.

It worked.

According to Pro Football Focus, McGlinchey has emerged as the No. 2 overall tackle in run blocking, posting a 85.3 grade in this category. And that’s not just among rookies. It’s among all tackles.

McGlinchey’s pass protection is still a work in progress. It wasn’t his forte at Notre Dame either, so some learning curves in this category make sense. But considering he’s already playing at a high level, the 49ers should feel pretty good about this pickup.

San Francisco doesn’t have to worry about one of its bookends for a long, long time.