San Francisco 49ers rookie right tackle Mike McGlinchey was one of the last starters on offense to exit Thursday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys. The first-round draft pick had 23 snaps in his NFL preseason debut.
McGlinchey feels that, once he calmed down, he had a pretty good outing. The 49ers returned to practice on Sunday morning and, after the session, the rookie tackle was asked to evaluate his performance against Dallas.
"I thought I played pretty well," McGlinchey said. "Obviously, a couple of things to clean up here and there but overall, a pretty good first showing. I had to calm the nerves a little bit the first drive but settled in there and thought I did a pretty good job.
"Just trying to keep working the same techniques and stuff that I've learned in practice every day. You know, go out there and cut it loose like I've always done."
Darrell Williams Jr. didn't fair well on the left, but check out Mike McGlinchey giving Taco Charlton the business on the right side of the line. #49ers
— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) August 10, 2018
(🎥: @jco3215)pic.twitter.com/W27njt4MH3
The 49ers coaching staff informed McGlinchey before the game that he would receive more playing time than most of his fellow starters.
"They let me know beforehand that I was going to keep playing and I appreciate it because the more snaps I can get under my belt before the real stuff starts, the better I'm going to be," he said.
McGlinchey's debut may not have been perfect, but his head coach seemed happy with the performance.
"I was really happy with Mike," Kyle Shanahan said after the game. "First game for him. That's why we left him in there a little bit longer. By no means was it perfect, but it was very easy to see that the game is not too big for him. He's very comfortable out there. He looks like the player he looked in college when we studied him, how he's looked in practice. He got out there and didn't change.
"He's a guy who I think gets better as the game goes on because he is talented, but he also is very smart and doesn't get overwhelmed with things. When he does make a mistake, he usually learns from it."
McGlinchey's next challenge will come this week during two practices against the Texans in Houston following by a game between the two squads on Saturday, August 18. The offensive line is preparing to block a defensive front that includes, among others, Jadeveon Clowney and J.J. Watt. Pro Football Focus recently ranked the Texans' defensive front No. 5 when it comes to the pass rush and No. 8 against the run.
"It's why you're playing in the NFL," McGlinchey said. "To play against the biggest and baddest dudes and they've got like three or four of them."
McGlinchey, however, is not as concerned with the Texans' tough defense as he is with the heat he will endure while practicing against it.
"I'm more worried about the heat monster than I am those guys," he continued. "As long as I can stay upright and not lose 15 pounds during practice, I'll come out of there with a win."