How Deommodore Lenoir became 49ers' most underrated player

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- For those without Pro Bowls, All-Pro nods or any other notable accolades, it's easy to get lost in the San Francisco 49ers' galaxy of superstars.

Nobody knows that better than cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, perhaps the best Niner who isn't a household name beyond the team's orbit. But, based on a strong 2023 and a training camp that has teammates and coaches saying that Lenoir has been one of the best players on a field he shares with the likes of end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner, that's all about to change.

"I think he's playing at the highest level he's ever played at," cornerback Charvarius Ward said. "He's a true player maker inside and outside. I'm excited to see what he [is] going to do this year."

Lenoir is entering the fourth and final year of the rookie deal he signed after San Francisco used the 172nd pick on him in the 2021 NFL draft, which means he can be an unrestricted free agent after the season. Between a pending payday and his motivation to return to -- and win -- a Super Bowl, Lenoir isn't just looking to elbow his way into the conversation of the best 49ers.

"I feel like I'm at the point where I'm trying to be one of the top guys in the NFL as far as the corner position, the nickel position, just somewhere in the top where a lot of people starting to recognize me and remember my name," Lenoir said.

Lenoir's ascent from fifth-round pick to the verge of a national breakthrough has been three-plus years in the making. After earning multiple All-Pac-12 honors at Oregon, Lenoir arrived in San Francisco as a potential long-term option at slot cornerback.

Injuries to other corners in that training camp opened the door for Lenoir to start his rookie year. He handled that job for the first couple of weeks before his playing time dipped to the point of getting no snaps that postseason.

Since then, Lenoir has had multiple "aha" moments, the first of which came as a simple self-improvement technique he'd previously not taken seriously.

By his own admission, Lenoir was able to play at a high level in college largely based on superior physical gifts. But the disappointing finish to his rookie season -- and the 2022 preseason arrival of veteran safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. -- opened Lenoir's eyes to the benefits of film study.

That offseason, Lenoir moved to Arizona. When he wasn't working out, Lenoir was spending time with his then-6-month-old son Titan, which allowed him to dive deeper into studying tape and the defensive playbook. He watched plenty of what the Niners call "pro growth" tape (a collection of clips of his play from a season that the coaches target for improvement) but he also extensively studied other successful NFL cornerbacks.

Jalen Ramsey,Pat Surtain II and Marshon Lattimorewere among the current corners Lenoir watched, but he also went back into the archives to see how Darrelle Revis, Champ Bailey and Richard Sherman did it. Lenoir realized that a common denominator in the success of all of those players was they often knew what was coming on a given play before it even started based on formations, alignments and motions.

After watching and taking notes, Lenoir used a large mirror in his home to emulate the releases of upcoming opponents. Once Gipson arrived, Lenoir started mimicking how Gipson set up his cut-ups to streamline how he watched film so that he could digest what he was seeing easier.

"I already got the physical attributes and I feel like I can play with anybody," Lenoir said. "But I felt like when I brought my mind into it, that s--- made me more dominant and I was able to play faster."

Even after bolstering his study habits, Lenoir still had to translate it to the field. That goal was made more difficult by the fact the Niners had lost nickel cornerback K'Waun Williams in free agency and an improved Lenoir had emerged simultaneously as one of their two best outside corners and their best option in the slot.

There aren't many corners in the league who play both inside and out, largely because the positions require different skill sets and mentalities. The adjustment was a difficult one for much of 2022 as Lenoir played 665 snaps outside and 153 in the slot with similar production.

The hardest part for him was simply trusting what his film study told him or, as Williams advised him, understanding that playing in the slot is about playing with "feel" more than on the outside.

Before a Week 15 win against the Seattle Seahawks, Lenoir had noticed that Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett would often craftily use his hands to separate at the top of his route whenever he ran a comeback. In the third quarter of that game, Lenoir saw it coming and intercepted a pass intended for Lockett for a pick-six that was nullified by a roughing penalty.

When the teams met again in the NFC playoffs nearly a month later, Lenoir had full trust in what his eyes told him, anticipated Lockett's hand usage and stepped in front of a fourth-quarter pass to Lockett for an interception to help seal the game.

Lenoir's postseason emergence -- in three games, he had two interceptions and allowed just five catches for 85 yards on 13 targets -- solidified his position as the team's most versatile defensive back.

"I think that was a confidence booster for him going into the next season, which led into last year's season," defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks said. "I think he came into the season very confident with his play and that continued on."

For Lenoir, there was one more hurdle to clear for that confidence to really take off. While he cemented his starting spot, he was still trying to find his footing when asked to bounce between outside and inside corner. San Francisco started the season with Isaiah Oliver in the slot, but after he struggled, the team went back to Lenoir playing inside and out.

In a Dec. 3 win against the Eagles, Lenoir played a season-high 57 snaps in the slot and put an exclamation point on the victory with a huge fourth-quarter hit on Eagles running back D'Andre Swift to force an incompletion.

It's the moment Lenoir says he finally felt fully comfortable in both positions and one that still gets Bullocks fired up at the mere mention of it nine months later.

"He's probably one of the most competitive players I've been around," Bullocks said. "I know this is contract year and some guys on their contract year, they may be scared to turn it loose. He's not scared at all."

Lenoir's spot in the pecking order of 49ers in line for a big payday seems to be rising by the day. After this season, Lenoir can join Ward, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga and guard Aaron Banks as potential unrestricted free agents. That doesn't even account for quarterback Brock Purdy's eligibility for a big-money extension and the still-lingering situation with receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

Still, Lenoir plays two premium positions, which should only increase his contract value. In 2023, he played 311 snaps in the slot and 570 at outside corner, allowing a minus-4.7 EPA, 80.1 passer rating and just one touchdown when targeted, while posting three interceptions and 10 passes defended.

In this training camp, Lenoir has "taken the next step," according to coordinator Nick Sorensen. He can often be found working with new defensive assistant Brandon Staley in the opening parts of practice. Lenoir said Staley helps him recognize potential routes and how to work angles, even offering percentages of how likely a route is to be run in a certain situation.

"The fact that he's played now for several years and been in the fire now in two different places, you're seeing that light go on," Staley said. With other players who have outperformed their draft status, the Niners have often worked to sign them to extensions while they are still a relative bargain. They've done it with the likes of guard Laken Tomlinson, Greenlaw and tackle Colton McKivitz in recent years. But Lenoir, who has never missed a game with injury, is in no hurry to sign now, betting on himself as he has all along.

"I don't want to go in just thinking about a contract," Lenoir said. "I'm more of like, I came in with nothing. I've been through the struggle already. I ain't struggling right now. I'm good where I'm at and I'm ready to take on the season."