The loss to the Green Bay Packers still stings, but one good thing to take from it is the improvement. More specifically, the offensive line improvement. 49ers tackle Mike McGlinchey has been getting all sorts of nods and was even the best run blocker on Pro Football Focus last week. Well, once again Mike McGlinchey made Pro Football Focus’ team of the Week, but he wasn’t the only one.
Right tackle Mike McGlinchey
The 49ers first-round draft pick delivered for the second week in a row, excelling as a run-blocker and allowing zero sacks, hits or hurries from 29 pass-blocking snaps. Over the past three weeks, he has now allowed just three hurries, with no sacks or hits.
Left tackle Joe Staley
Staley rolled back the years with another fine performance on Monday Night, not allowing a single sack, hit or hurry from 29 pass-blocking snaps. On the year, he has allowed just 10 total pressures through six games.
Left guard Laken Tomlinson
A first-round draft pick back in 2015, Tomlinson has started to find his groove for the 49ers over the past two weeks. Against the Packers, he allowed just one hurry from 29 pass-blocking snaps and was impressive as a run-blocker.
One, two, three 49ers offensive linemen on the Team of the Week? A year ago if you said this was going to happen I and several members of this site would not be able to stop laughing at you. The 49ers offensive line was awful. So awful my mantra leading up to the 2018 NFL Draft was “O-line, O-line, O-line, O-line” whenever someone suggested something on the contrary.
The 49ers extended Laken Tomlinson in the 2018 offseason and so far it seems like a justifiable extension. Some were wondering what the 49ers were doing with this rather than pick up his fifth-year option, but it appears to have been the right decision. Joe Staley is Joe Staley, and Mike McGlinchey is becoming one of the best picks out of the draft.
That of course leaves the right guard position. The 49ers have had injury issues all year with Mike Person and Joshua Garnett and it seems like the position is more a throwaway than anything else. The 49ers will need to solidify that position as well as get Joe Staley’s replacement ready to go (or someone to take McGlinchey’s spot when he moves over).
Regardless, the 49ers biggest issue, offensive line, looks like it’s getting or has been fixed.