The 49ers’ secondary is set to be led by Deommodore Lenoir in 2025, but his exact role for the coming season is uncertain after the NFL Draft.
The 49ers left no doubt that they see Deommodore Lenoir as an integral part of their future on the defensive side of the ball when they signed him to a five-year, $88.88 million extension in November. However, following the NFL Draft, there is a pressing question surrounding a player who can now be viewed as the leader of the San Francisco secondary.
Lenoir was a bright spot in a hugely disappointing 2024 as he took another big step forward, establishing himself as one of the league’s premier cornerbacks in a year in which he was unfortunate not to be named to the Pro Bowl.
The 2021 fifth-round pick allowed just 5.6 yards per target and ranked 11th among all corners in passer rating allowed (71.4), both numbers representing the best of his career. That surge by Lenoir was tied to him taking on a role that involved playing in the slot full-time on nickel downs – having done so for much of the 49ers’ run to the Super Bowl in the 2023 season.
Last season, Lenoir played 565 snaps in the slot compared to 187 as an outside corner and 167 in the box, per Pro Football Focus. That was a marked change from 2023 when, across the regular season and the playoffs, he played 648 snaps as an outside corner and 418 snaps in the slot.
And Lenoir thrived in his first full season as primarily an inside corner, ranking third among all corners in passer rating allowed (69.7) when in slot coverage, per Pro Football Focus. Seventeen cornerbacks were targeted at least 50 times when in slot coverage in 2024, Lenoir was one just three not to give up a touchdown.
His performances last year suggest Lenoir is best off staying in the slot, yet the way in which the 49ers attacked the cornerback position in the draft indicated they could move him back to the outside.
San Francisco used the 100th overall pick in the third round on Western Kentucky corner Upton Stout, who lined up in several different spots in college but, at 5ft 9in and 182 pounds, will likely be limited to the slot at the highest level.
Asked about whether that selection means Lenoir will move outside, head coach Kyle Shanahan told a press conference after the second day of the draft:
“Possibly. I mean, we’re going to still play it out. I think [DB Deommodore Lenoir] DMo is great inside, I think he’s great outside. We probably see Upton definitely as an inside player. So, that was a big need. The way it fell, especially in the draft, but DMo can do either, but I think it’s easier for a guy when he can stay at one spot. So, we will work that through OTAs and training camp and see how it ends up.”
Lenoir’s role in 2025 may, therefore, hinge on Stout’s progress. However, it will also likely be dependent on the performances in practice of the other candidates to play outside corner.
Renardo Green is almost certain to start at one outside spot after the 2024 second-round pick’s incredibly encouraging rookie year. In addition to having the option of moving Lenoir, the 49ers also signed former Seattle Seahawk Tre Brown and are on record as having a lot of belief in Darrell Luter Jr, their fifth-round selection from 2023. Unlike Luter, Brown at least has starting experience in the league, albeit only 13 starts in four seasons.
The 49ers are clearly confident in Lenoir’s ability to excel regardless of where he is lined up. Still, the decision of where he plays this coming season could have a significant impact on the defense’s success in bouncing back from a down year in 2024. In the end, rather than it being an issue of where Lenoir performs best, the path they choose may instead come down to who among a group of inexperienced options in Stout, Brown, and Luter stands out the most as the Niners prepare for what they hope will be a rebound campaign.