SANTA CLARA – The 49ers were not interested in trading out of the No. 9 slot on Thursday night because the person they targeted, Notre Dame offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey, was still available.
McGlinchey impressed the 49ers with his size, ability and potential. And he also made a strong impression when he met with the 49ers during a formal interview at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
But McGlinchey was not alone.
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Lynch said on Thursday that McGlinchey was one of two draft prospects that stood out. On Saturday, he told NBC Sports Bay Area that after giving it some more thought, he had to make a correction.
“I was thinking about it, there were actually three guys who stood out from everyone else,” Lynch said.
McGlinchey, Florida State safety Derwin James and Georgia running back Sony Michel were the players who impressed Lynch more than any of the others he met during the draft process, he said.
“Those were the guys,” Lynch said. “That’s no knock on all the others, but those guys were – yeah, they were great.”
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James was the Los Angeles Chargers’ selection at No. 17 overall. Lynch indicated it was difficult to pass up James with the 49ers' first-round pick.
“Derwin James was just phenomenal,” Lynch said. “That was a hard one because he’s special in his presence, let alone his play.
“And Sony Michel was the same way, just in terms of owning the room.”
The New England Patriots selected Michel in the first round with the No. 31 overall pick.
In discussing the team’s selection of McGlinchey on Thursday, Lynch explained how he and coach Kyle Shanahan weigh the importance of player interviews in the 49ers’ draft process.
“Kyle and I, just as a general philosophy, you didn't want to put too much stock in that because it's 15 minutes,” Lynch said. “I will say, however, just in my life experience, there are some people who command a room and who own a room.
“We have 60 interviews at the combine and he (McGlinchey) was a guy that came in and just kind of owned the room and everyone felt it. It wasn't just me. Kyle felt that way. Our coaches that were in the room felt that way, our scouts in the room. He's got a special presence to him. He's real. He's authentic and he's a badass and we like that.”