The 49ers traded for defensive end Dee Ford to bolster their outside pass rush. Second-year right tackle Mike McGlinchey believes he’ll have a positive effect on more than just the team’s edge rush though, with his impact permeating throughout the defensive line and even to the offensive line.
Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area talked to McGlinchey, who explained the danger of Ford’s elite first-step quickness, but also talked about how that helps other players on the 49ers.
“Excited to get to work with him,” McGlinchey told Chan. “It’s only going to make me better, the rest of our tackles better. He’s going to be special for us this year and we are certainly glad he’s on our side now.”
Ford posted one sack against the 49ers in their Week 3 matchup last season. The 49ers’ tackles aren’t used to going up against top-end talent on the edges in practice. Joe Staley got to go against some elite players during the early portion of the 2010s when San Francisco had one of the league’s top defenses. McGlinchey, on the other hand, hasn’t had that weekly opportunity. He worked with a group of edge rushers last season that produced just 13 sacks combined. Ford had 13 by himself last season.
It’s not just the offensive line that’ll benefit though. McGlinchey went on to break down how Ford’s burst off the line makes life easier for the rest of the 49ers’ pass rushers.
“I think a huge example of that was last year in Kansas City they had (defensive tackle) Chris Jones,” he said. “He came away with 13 or 14 sacks last year and I think a lot of that has to do with who he was paired with on the outside.”
Jones posted a career-high 15.5 sacks last season – 3.5 more than 49ers Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. Buckner’s 12 sacks were even more impressive given the amount of attention he received from offensive lines.
It makes sense that a dynamite rusher off the edge would divert some of the attention away from Buckner. Offensive lines, running backs and tight ends all have to account for those rushers coming around the corner because it’s more difficult for the quarterback to see and evade that pressure.
Speedy edge rushers can also force quarterbacks to move up in the pocket where interior rushers like Buckner are generally getting a push.
The 49ers would happily take another 13-sack season from Ford. They just need help pressuring quarterbacks from places other than the inside. However, they’ll also take the residual effect of an improved offensive line and more production from their other pass rushers.
If the benefits of an explosive player like Ford do stretch to the offensive tackles and other defensive linemen, it could singlehandedly give the 49ers the boost they need to jump into the playoff hunt.
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