© Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
SANTA CLARA — Not Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick. Not Florida State’s Derwin James. Not Boston College’s Harold Landry.
With the No. 9 overall pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft, the 49ers selected Notre Dame tackle Mike McGlinchey, a name likely unknown to most 49ers fans.
McGlinchey isn’t the flashy signing that will have 49ers fans exulting, but it’s far from risky. Considering the public scrutiny surrounding the Reuben Foster saga, the safe pick is the right pick.
Every offensive acquisition should be considered with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as a reference point. Garoppolo signed a $137.5 million deal earlier this offseason, checking the top priority off San Francisco’s offseason to-do list.
The next rule of order? Protect him.
So, let’s add a 6-foot-8, 309-pound monster who bulldozes defenders. Let’s add a player who has started 39 straight college games with experience in zone schemes. Let’s add a two-year Notre Dame captain who has never sniffed trouble, at least publicly.
“He’s a guy who shows up to every practice every week, and that’s truly what you believe an O-lineman should be,” Kyle Shanahan said Thursday night. “You can find some like that, but some aren’t good enough. This guy has it all. That’s what makes it not only a safe pick, but a very exciting pick because you are getting that talented of a guy.”
Nearly two months ago, John Lynch and Shanahan met with 60 prospects at the NFL Combine. McGlinchey was one of two players who blew them away with his command of the room.
This pick came as a surprise for a reason: McGlinchey wasn’t one of the reported 30 pre-draft visits because no additional visit was necessary. The 49ers saw everything they needed to see both on film and in person at the combine, leaving them without reason to meet again, which left McGlinchey’s name off the public radar.
He will compete with Trent Brown for the starting right tackle job in the upcoming camp. Brown, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, is entering the final year of his deal. On the left side of the line, six-time Pro Bowler Joe Staley has only two years left on his contract and turns 34 in August.
It’s highly possible either Staley or Brown won’t be a 49er in two years. There’s a chance both of them will be gone.
Given their recent injury history, spending a first-round pick on a tackle of McGlinchey’s caliber makes sense. Brown underwent shoulder surgery last year and missed the final six games. Staley has missed three contests in the past two years.
Pro Bowl NFL tackles generally don’t slip to late rounds. Shanahan and Lynch saw McGlinchey as the top tackle prospect in this class.
Lynch said the 49ers received several calls from teams inquiring about the No. 9 pick. San Francisco stayed put. As of last week, they knew McGlinchey was their guy, and if he dropped to them, they weren’t hesitating.
“God didn’t create a bunch of great offensive tackles out there,” Lynch said. “They are limited. We think we found a guy who has an opportunity to be that. When you combine his skill on the field— we talk a lot about guys who represent what it takes to win games— to win championships, we feel he has a lot of that in him, both on and off the field.”
Lynch and Shanahan touched on McGlinchey’s character as much as his football ability in the nearly 18 minutes they addressed the media Thursday night. That isn’t a coincidence.
Shanahan and Lynch are trying to instill a winning environment. They are also trying to instill a healthy culture conducive to positive public opinion, which has recently been compromised with the team’s decision to patiently wait out a verdict in Foster’s legal saga.
The 49ers brass is valuing character more than ever. If character comes in the form of a 6-foot-8, 309-pounder, that’s just a bonus.
Brad Almquist is KNBR’s 49ers beat writer. Follow Brad on Twitter @Bquist13.