49ers Rookie Deommodore Lenoir is Impressing DeMeco Ryans
Fifth-round magic!
That is what everyone is going to start relating with the San Francisco 49ers. They always happen to strike gold in that round and they just might’ve done it again with rookie cornerback Deommodore Lenoir.
Lenoir has been excellent in training camp and in the preseason. Through two preseason games, Lenoir has registered two interceptions along with a pass breakup and only one reception per Pro Football Focus. His performances has allowed him to garner reps at slot cornerback, which has impressed defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans.
“Yeah, we started him there yesterday and his head is spinning a little bit, but he's handled it really well. He’s eager. One thing I like about him, he's eager to learn, he's eager to grow. So, when you have that type of mindset, you'll get better at anything you do. If you have the right mind for it. So, he's been fine in there. He’s not out of place. I can tell you that. He's done a good job with the reps that he's been given and he's made a few plays in the backfield. So, he's done a really good job there at the slot position.”
Lenoir adding slot corner to his repertoire would be nothing short of stellar. Slot corner is the tougher position because you have to account for more routes than on the outside and be ready to play against the run. It’s definitely a lot of pressure, so the fact that the 49ers are rolling him out there despite no experience in college must mean they have a ton of belief in his ability. If he ends up being able to do both, then it is an indicator of how talented this guy is.
On Wednesday I had the pleasure of attending practice and watching Lenoir play was pure ecstasy. He saw some reps against Brandon Aiyuk, their best route-runner, and played tightly against him on practically every single rep. I remember thinking to myself that “this guy is like water” in terms of how he covers. He just molds to the receiver. Now it was just a few reps and he wasn’t necessarily shutting Aiyuk down, but it was extremely encouraging to see Lenoir make strides week in and week out.
It doesn’t take much brain power to figure out why he’s been receiving so much playing time over Ambry Thomas. He’s the more playable talent if Jason Verrett or Emmanuel Moseley were to go down.
Lenoir looks like a baller to me. If he can continue on this trajectory, then the 49ers will be in good hands with this young man for the foreseeable future.
