How ‘baller’ Lenoir is making his presence felt in 49ers training camp

How ‘baller’ Lenoir is making his presence felt in the 49ers’ training camp originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers have an abundance of superstars, but one name continues to outshine most of them in training camp and that’s fourth-year cornerback Deommodore Lenoir.

Lenoir was primarily a rotational corner for the first season-plus of his career before moving into a more consistent role in the second half of the 2022 NFL season. The 24-year-old then started all 17 games for San Francisco last season, splitting time between the nickel and outside corner positions.

Now entering his fourth season, Lenoir has been the talk of training camp so far, with his versatility and dedication to his craft earning him numerous accolades from coaches and teammates.

“I think he’s been solid. I think being able to play inside (and) outside has taken him to the next level,” defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said Sunday. “Another year of just getting comfortable and seeing it. I’ve said in the past that’s hard to do within the game, playing inside and outside.

“I think it just clicks a lot quicker. It’s like anything, time on task, he’s just getting better and better in both spots because he plays both spots.”

Lenoir’s talent was immediately apparent when the 49ers selected him in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, but as is the case with any young defensive back — let alone one who plays all over the field like Lenoir — the learning curve was steep. There were times when overthinking and the mental hurdles Lenoir faced hindered his progress.

“That’s it, that’s it really. Really everybody, how quickly can you get away from thinking about everything to where you anticipate and just react,” Sorensen added. “That’s really the main goal for everybody.”

Quarterback Brock Purdy has struggled to keep the ball out of defenses’ hands so far in training camp. One of the culprits who has thrown an interception (a pick six) off the quarterback in his third year and is still making his presence felt on defense is Lenoir.

“He’s a baller, man. He’s got a good touch and he understands the football,” Purdy said. “He’s gotten more and more reps as his career has gone on. And for us, every time we walk to the line and I see him in man coverage, I’m like, ‘This is going to be a battle right here.’ So he pushes our guys, he pushes me, I have to be accurate with the ball because he’s pretty tight on the back hip and he’s made some pretty good plays.”

If the 2024 NFL season were to begin today, Lenoir’s role wouldn’t change much on paper as the starting nickel alongside outside corners Charvarius Ward and Ambry Thomas. But instead of a rising young star turning heads in San Francisco’s defensive backfield, Lenoir is now an established, veteran presence who could transition into one of the league’s better defensive backs this season.

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