With the ninth-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Notre Dame tackle Mike McGlinchey.
McGlinchey's stock has risen over the last 48 hours as he emerged as the consensus top tackle in this year's class. With the pick, San Francisco has now acquired the heir apparent to Joe Staley.
"He is a pile driver in the run game," Mike Mayock said on the NFL Network's broadcast. "He'll set the tone in the offensive line room and the culture in the locker room. He has some nasty to him."
The biggest question mark in the immediate future is where McGlinchey will play in 2018. He is likely to compete with Trent Brown to start at right tackle. It will also be interesting to see if the 49ers give him some work at guard during the offseason program.
According to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, McGlinchey has good bend, is an advanced tactician and has experience in both gap and zone schemes. Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus tweeted that McGlinchey was their top-graded run blocking tackle in this class.
McGlinchey has starting experience at both left and right tackle. At 6-foot-8, 309 pounds, he's got prototype size to be an elite tackle. He told reporters that the only interaction he had with the 49ers during the pre-draft process was an official interview at February's NFL Scouting Combine.
"It's a shock, but I'm thrilled to be a part of the San Francisco 49ers organization," McGlinchey said. "My family and I couldn't be happier."
McGlinchey hosted a draft bash in his hometown near the Philadelphia area at a local pizza spot. In attendance were 150 of the tackle's closest friends and family. He'll fly to the Bay Area Friday morning and start his new job of protecting Jimmy Garoppolo.
"I watched a few of his games," McGlinchey said of Garoppolo. "He looked amazing."
