The San Francisco 49ers decision to draft offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey was not entirely shocking in light of draft week developments, but it did raise some eyebrows. Some thought the 49ers could have moved back to select him, and we often hear that when the team drafts somebody higher than people would otherwise consider it.
A year ago, the 49ers moved back one spot from No. 2 and still landed the player they coveted, defensive lineman Solomon Thomas. This year, even moving one spot back would likely have cost them a shot at McGlinchey. The Oakland Raiders moved back from No. 10 to No. 15 and selected right tackle Kolton Martin, but McGlinchey was the guy they wanted, according to multiple reports.
Mike Silver tweeted last weekend that the Raiders would have drafted McGlinchey over anybody but Bradley Chubb. On Thursday, Albert Breer posted some late draft notes, and he reported on the Raiders interest as well. Both said the Raiders had an inkling of the 49ers interest in McGlinchey, but we may never know just how much they knew. The 49ers worked hard to keep their interest pretty quiet. McGlinchey even said the team had a workout planned with him, only to cancel it soon after. Maybe their schedule got crossed up, or maybe the team wanted to play things close to the vest to make sure nobody leaped ahead of them.
It’s easy to say a team took a player too early, and could have waited on him. Sometimes that is the case, and I still will never forgive the A.J. Jenkins pick. But sometimes you have to roll the dice, and hope for the best. It’s not always an ideal process, but in this case, it seems to have worked out for the 49ers.