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49ers CB Deommodore Lenoir Named One of 2021's Biggest Draft Steals

The 49ers have an incredible track record of finding diamons in the rough in Round 5.
Grant Cohn|
Jun 10, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (2) takes a break from drills during an OTA at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
Jun 10, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (2) takes a break from drills during an OTA at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

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San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers have an incredible track record of finding diamons in the rough in Round 5.

That's when they drafted George Kittle in 2017, Dre Greenlaw in 2019 and Deommodore Lenoir in 2021.

No one expected Lenoir to become a starter when he was picked. He wasn't even the first corner the 49ers took that year -- Ambry Thomas was. But Lenoir steadily improved while Thomas didn't, so now Lenoir just got a five-year extension while Thomas is off the team.

Not only is Lenoir a late-round gem, he's the best cornerback the 49ers have drafted since Eric Davis in 1990.

That's why Bleacher Report recently named Lenoir one of the biggest steals of the 2021 NFL Draft.

"Lenoir started two games in his rookie season and has started in 45 of his 49 games since," writes Bleacher Report's Damian Parson. "His versatility allows the Niners defense to match up well against different offensive personnel groupings.

"Lenoir has improved every season since becoming a starter. His passer rating allowed continues to drop despite maintaining at worst a 17 percent target rate, per NFL Pro. He is coming off his best year, having allowed 470 yards on 48 receptions with one touchdown and two interceptions. He added nine pass breakups as well.

"Lenoir has developed into a quality slot cornerback who can align on the outside sparingly when necessary. Since 2023, he has had more interceptions than touchdowns allowed in coverage."

I actually disagree with this analysis. Yes, Lenoir is a quality slot cornerback, but he also is terrific on the outside. That's why Robert Saleh is moving Lenoir to the outside full time this season. He finally has become the 49ers' No. 1 cornerback.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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