49ers’ 2019 ‘Who Is?’ series: Offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey

The San Francisco 49ers’ top pick from the 2018 NFL Draft, offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey, made quite the impression his rookie year. But there’s pressure on him to get even better in 2019.

It was a bit of a shocker when the San Francisco 49ers took Notre Dame offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey with their first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

But the move made sense the following day once the Niners traded off their incumbent right tackle, Trent Brown, to the New England Patriots, essentially placing McGlinchey into a shoo-in role to start his rookie season.

McGlinchey didn’t disappoint either.

According to Pro Football Focus, McGlinchey ended up being the second best overall offensive lineman in 2018, coming in just behind his former Notre Dame teammate, now-Indianapolis Colts offensive guard Quenton Nelson.

Yet McGlinchey’s 78.2 run-blocking grade last year ranked first among eligible tackles, and not just rookies.

Impressive.

Anchoring the right side of San Francisco’s offensive line, McGlinchey still has some work to do in order to become a more-rounded player.

How will he go about doing so in 2019?

Why Mike McGlinchey Improves in 2019

McGlinchey already established himself as one of the better run blockers in the league last season, and there’s only room to further his prowess here following a full year in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s outside-zone offense.

The year’s worth of work, plus his close companionship with veteran left tackle Joe Staley, should help turn McGlinchey into one of the more solid bookends in the league.

But that would include improving McGlinchey’s pass protection. While his run-blocking grades were high, PFF gave the tackle a so-so 64.2 mark in pass blocking.

The good news is McGlinchey was proverbially “thrown into the fire” against some of the top edge rushers in the league last year, including the Chicago Bears’ Khalil Mack and the Denver Broncos’ Von Miller.

There won’t be anywhere near as big a learning curve in 2019.

Why Mike McGlinchey Regresses

There isn’t much concern regarding McGlinchey’s run-blocking skills, and even a slight drop off in production here would still be considered better than most other options in the NFL.

What is the concern, however, is the aforementioned pass-blocking abilities.

McGlinchey led the 49ers with five sacks allowed last season, and his 39 quarterback pressures aren’t exactly a good stat. It also wasn’t a case where McGlinchey got stronger in that department as the year drew on. Twenty of those pressures came over the Niners’ final five games of 2018.

It’s possible McGlinchey never emerges as a bona fide pass blocker at the pro level. It wasn’t his strength at the college level, and one might not be too shocked if he generally struggles in this department over the course of his career.

Expected Role and Impact with the 49ers in 2019

McGlinchey joins an offensive line carrying over the same cast of starters from last season, the only arguable question being center Weston Richburg‘s health — he’s coming off knee surgery, and his status for training camp remains in doubt.

Continuity and chemistry are, perhaps, no more important than with an O-line, so this should serve to benefit the second-year pro after an already-impressive rookie season.

The long-term hope, of course, is for McGlinchey to eventually take over Staley’s spot when the latter retires at some point in the not-too-distant future. But that’s not a concern for 2019.

Instead, McGlinchey will be tasked with holding down the right side of San Francisco’s O-line, continuing to provide ample run support for the team’s reinforced crop of running backs.

What would be nice to see, though, is an improved effort in pass blocking. The 49ers don’t want to endure another season watching quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on the mend, and holding the team lead in sacks from last year isn’t something McGlinchey should look to replicate again this season.

Still, there’s little doubt the Niners made the right move in grabbing McGlinchey, and he’s quickly emerging as a cornerstone piece for the franchise for years to come.

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