Mike McGlinchey
Denver BroncosModel Score
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
Season Stats · 17 games
Draft & College
He went about where consensus had him.
Comps
STM Take
The career arc tier 8 (#73) in 2023 to tier 3 (#18) in 2024 to tier 7 (#50) in 2025 is one of the most volatile mid-career patterns at the position. The 49ers career floor was tier 4-5, the Broncos signing came with a tier 8 rookie-season-as-FA stumble, then the 2024 tier 3 (#18) peak showed the talent. The 2026 question is whether McGlinchey holds tier 5 or whether Denver explores trading him.
McGlinchey came out of Notre Dame as the San Francisco 49ers' 1st-round pick (9th overall) in 2018 after starting 39 games for the Fighting Irish, including the 2017 Cotton Bowl. He started at RT for the 49ers through the 2022 Super Bowl LIV run, then signed a five-year, $87.5M deal with the Denver Broncos in 2023 free agency. His STTM career runs tier 5 (#34) in 2021, tier 4 (#30) in 2022, tier 8 (#73) in 2023 as a Bronco, tier 3 (#18) bounce-back in 2024, then tier 7 (#50) in 2025.
Strengths
- 2024 tier 3 (#18) bounce-back in his second Broncos season confirms a top-20 RT ceiling exists when the structure aligns.
- Eight straight years as a starting RT plus 49ers Super Bowl LIV experience gives him postseason résumé that few mid-career RTs share.
Concerns
- Tier 3 (#18) in 2024 to tier 7 (#50) in 2025 is a 32-spot drop that shows the 2024 peak was situational, not a new baseline.
- $87.5M contract through 2027 plus the 2025 tier 7 finish creates a contract-value gap that pressures Denver's roster construction.
What to watch: Whether McGlinchey returns to tier 5 or better in 2026 with Bo Nix's full progression, or whether the tier 7 finish triggers a trade exploration window for Denver.