Robert Saleh Praises One 49ers Player for Being "Fearless"

It didn't take long for Robert Saleh to know how good this 49ers player is.

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

Every defensive player on the San Francisco 49ers should yearn to receive praise from Robert Saleh.

Anytime he praises a player, he is being extremely genuine about it. Those are his transparent thoughts, and he isn’t one to mince words.

On Monday, Saleh praised one 49ers player for how fearless he is in everything that he does. The player he was talking about is none other than Deommodore Lenoir.

“He is, I think a dog is the right word. I mean, the guy has no fear,” Saleh said. “He asks the right questions in meetings. He’s fearless at the line of scrimmage. He's fearless in coverage. He's fearless in the box to go make tackles. He's a dude. He wants all the smoke of every number one receiver in football. He’ll back it up. He talks about it, backs it up. He's our kind of guy for sure.”

Not a single word Saleh stated was untrue or exaggerated. Lenoir has demonstrated being a dog and fearlessness since becoming a starter three years ago.

He just wants to compete and take the life out of his opponent. That’s exactly the type of player the 49ers love, which is part of why they extended him.

Saleh has been fortunate in his coaching career to have excellent nickel cornerbacks. First, it was K’Waun Williams, who to this day is still massively underrated.

The other is D.J. Reed when Saleh was with the New York Jets. Now, Saleh getts Lenoir, who could end up being better than both Williams and Reed.

Lenoir already has versatility over them thanks to his ability to play inside and out. That might be what Saleh wants Lenoir to do since rookie Upton Stout is primarily a nickel.

It would be a bold move to take Lenoir out of a position he’s best at all for a rookie. But if it is what Saleh wants, Lenoir will answer the call without fear like always.