SANTA CLARA, Calif. — For these with out Professional Bowls, All-Professional nods or every other notable accolades, it is easy to get misplaced within the San Francisco 49ers’ galaxy of superstars.
No one is aware of that higher than cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, maybe one of the best Niner who is not a family title past the staff’s orbit. However, based mostly on a robust 2023 and a coaching camp that has teammates and coaches saying that Lenoir has been among the best gamers on a discipline he shares with the likes of finish Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner, that is all about to alter.
“I feel he is taking part in on the highest degree he is ever performed at,” cornerback Charvarius Ward stated. “He is a real participant maker inside and outdoors. I am excited to see what he [is] going to do that 12 months.”
Lenoir is coming into the fourth and last 12 months of the rookie deal he signed after San Francisco used the 172nd choose on him within the 2021 NFL draft, which implies he could be an unrestricted free agent after the season. Between a pending payday and his motivation to return to — and win — a Tremendous Bowl, Lenoir is not simply trying to elbow his approach into the dialog of one of the best 49ers.
“I really feel like I am on the level the place I am attempting to be one of many prime guys within the NFL so far as the nook place, the nickel place, simply someplace within the prime the place lots of people beginning to acknowledge me and bear in mind my title,” Lenoir stated.
Lenoir’s ascent from fifth-round choose to the verge of a nationwide breakthrough has been three-plus years within the making. After incomes a number of All-Pac-12 honors at Oregon, Lenoir arrived in San Francisco as a possible long-term choice at slot cornerback.
Accidents to different corners in that coaching camp opened the door for Lenoir to start out his rookie 12 months. He dealt with that job for the primary couple of weeks earlier than his taking part in time dipped to the purpose of getting no snaps that postseason.
Since then, Lenoir has had a number of “aha” moments, the primary of which got here as a easy self-improvement method he’d beforehand not taken severely.
By his personal admission, Lenoir was capable of play at a excessive degree in school largely based mostly on superior bodily presents. However the disappointing end to his rookie season — and the 2022 preseason arrival of veteran security Tashaun Gipson Sr. — opened Lenoir’s eyes to the advantages of movie research.
That offseason, Lenoir moved to Arizona. When he wasn’t figuring out, Lenoir was spending time together with his then-6-month-old son Titan, which allowed him to dive deeper into finding out tape and the defensive playbook. He watched loads of what the Niners name “professional development” tape (a set of clips of his play from a season that the coaches goal for enchancment) however he additionally extensively studied different profitable NFL cornerbacks.
Jalen Ramsey, Pat Surtain II and Marshon Lattimore had been among the many present corners Lenoir watched, however he additionally went again into the archives to see how Darrelle Revis, Champ Bailey and Richard Sherman did it. Lenoir realized {that a} widespread denominator within the success of all of these gamers was they typically knew what was approaching a given play earlier than it even began based mostly on formations, alignments and motions.
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After watching and taking notes, Lenoir used a big mirror in his residence to emulate the releases of upcoming opponents. As soon as Gipson arrived, Lenoir began mimicking how Gipson arrange his cut-ups to streamline how he watched movie in order that he might digest what he was seeing simpler.
“I already bought the bodily attributes and I really feel like I can play with anyone,” Lenoir stated. “However I felt like after I introduced my thoughts into it, that s— made me extra dominant and I used to be capable of play quicker.”
Even after bolstering his research habits, Lenoir nonetheless needed to translate it to the sector. That aim was made harder by the very fact the Niners had misplaced nickel cornerback Ok’Waun Williams in free company and an improved Lenoir had emerged concurrently as considered one of their two finest outdoors corners and their best choice within the slot.
There aren’t many corners within the league who play each inside and outside, largely as a result of the positions require totally different ability units and mentalities. The adjustment was a tough one for a lot of 2022 as Lenoir performed 665 snaps outdoors and 153 within the slot with comparable manufacturing.
The toughest half for him was merely trusting what his movie research instructed him or, as Williams suggested him, understanding that taking part in within the slot is about taking part in with “really feel” greater than on the surface.
Earlier than a Week 15 win towards the Seattle Seahawks, Lenoir had seen that Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett would typically craftily use his fingers to separate on the prime of his route each time he ran a comeback. Within the third quarter of that sport, Lenoir noticed it coming and intercepted a move meant for Lockett for a pick-six that was nullified by a roughing penalty.
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When the groups met once more within the NFC playoffs practically a month later, Lenoir had full belief in what his eyes instructed him, anticipated Lockett’s hand utilization and stepped in entrance of a fourth-quarter move to Lockett for an interception to assist seal the sport.
Lenoir’s postseason emergence — in three video games, he had two interceptions and allowed simply 5 catches for 85 yards on 13 targets — solidified his place because the staff’s most versatile defensive again.
“I feel that was a confidence booster for him going into the following season, which led into final 12 months’s season,” defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks stated. “I feel he got here into the season very assured together with his play and that continued on.”
For Lenoir, there was another hurdle to clear for that confidence to actually take off. Whereas he cemented his beginning spot, he was nonetheless looking for his footing when requested to bounce between inside and outside nook. San Francisco began the season with Isaiah Oliver within the slot, however after he struggled, the staff went again to Lenoir taking part in inside and outside.
In a Dec. 3 win towards the Eagles, Lenoir performed a season-high 57 snaps within the slot and put an exclamation level on the victory with an enormous fourth-quarter hit on Eagles working again D’Andre Swift to drive an incompletion.
It is the second Lenoir says he lastly felt absolutely snug in each positions and one that also will get Bullocks fired up on the mere point out of it 9 months later.
“He is most likely one of the vital aggressive gamers I have been round,” Bullocks stated. “I do know that is contract 12 months and a few guys on their contract 12 months, they might be scared to show it free. He isn’t scared in any respect.”
Lenoir’s spot within the pecking order of 49ers in line for an enormous payday appears to be rising by the day. After this season, Lenoir can be a part of Ward, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, security Talanoa Hufanga and guard Aaron Banks as potential unrestricted free brokers. That does not even account for quarterback Brock Purdy’s eligibility for a big-money extension and the still-lingering state of affairs with receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Nonetheless, Lenoir performs two premium positions, which ought to solely enhance his contract worth. In 2023, he performed 311 snaps within the slot and 570 at outdoors nook, permitting a minus-4.7 EPA, 80.1 passer score and only one landing when focused, whereas posting three interceptions and 10 passes defended.
On this coaching camp, Lenoir has “taken the following step,” in line with coordinator Nick Sorensen. He can typically be discovered working with new defensive assistant Brandon Staley within the opening elements of follow. Lenoir stated Staley helps him acknowledge potential routes and easy methods to work angles, even providing percentages of how seemingly a route is to be run in a sure state of affairs.
“The truth that he is performed now for a number of years and been within the fireplace now in two totally different locations, you are seeing that mild go on,” Staley stated. With different gamers who’ve outperformed their draft standing, the Niners have typically labored to signal them to extensions whereas they’re nonetheless a relative discount. They’ve executed it with the likes of guard Laken Tomlinson, Greenlaw and deal with Colton McKivitz lately. However Lenoir, who has by no means missed a sport with harm, is in no hurry to signal now, betting on himself as he has all alongside.
“I do not need to go in simply enthusiastic about a contract,” Lenoir stated. “I am extra of like, I got here in with nothing. I have been by the battle already. I ain’t struggling proper now. I am good the place I am at and I am able to tackle the season.”
