The household names always mentioned for the San Francisco 49ers defense are Fred Warner and Nick Bosa.
Pretty soon, if not now, another player will be mentioned alongside them. That player is cornerback Deommodore Lenoir who is ascending into a star. Lenoir had a stellar game against the Dallas Cowboys. He intercepted Dak Prescott on a brilliant play covering CeeDee Lamb.
Lenoir said in the locker room that it was a play he noticed watching the film. It was based on the formation and Lenoir “baited” Prescott into the throw. That makes it back-to-back weeks that Lenoir has reeled in an interception.
The stats won’t ever indicate how good Lenoir is playing. Cornerback isn’t a position that can get propped up using them. But make no mistake, Lenoir is playing at a high level. He’s on a path to becoming one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. It’s been joy to watch considering how his career started out with the 49ers.
“DMo’s been a stud. He is exactly what you want of a 49er to play like,” said head coach Kyle Shanahan. “He came in his first rookie camp and stood out, got me fined for illegally jamming people too hard and putting on the internet. So, I always mess with him for that.
“But he started out real well, made a couple mistakes early on as a rookie and lost his confidence just a little bit I thought his rookie year. Then that second season, the way he came back in the offseason, kind of just possessed to get that job back and he’s kind of owned it ever since. He’s been a stud for a while to me and he gets better each year. He’s having a hell of a year.”
Lenoir started his ascension in 2022 when Emmanuel Moseley suffered a season-ending injury. Filling in for a talented player like Moseley was a tall task. However, Lenoir successfully shrunk the hole Moseley left and performed well the entire season.
He would take his next leap in 2023 when the 49ers committed to him being the slot cornerback. That is where he took his talents to new heights, which is insane since he never played in the slot in college. It wasn’t until he got with the 49ers that they started dabbling with it.
It’s probably the first time the 49ers tried playing a player out of their natural position and it paid off handsomely. Lenoir’s capability of kicking outside and inside, especially at a high level, makes him an incredible player. He’s been a menace that opposing quarterbacks want no part of.
The worst part is that if they don’t want Lenoir, they have to deal with Charvarius Ward on the other side. Lenoir still isn’t a household name when the 49ers’ defense is mentioned, but that will change very soon if he continues to ascend at the rate he is going. One that will see him turn into a star.
