The 49ers are down their top two players at the cornerback position early in training camp, with Deommodore Lenoir now sidelined.
After a 2024 season in part defined by nightmare injury luck, the 49ers are already dealing with issues in that regard as they prepare for the 2025 season.
San Francisco has had to bring in several wide receivers because of injuries at that spot, while Ameer Abdullah was added to the backfield on Thursday because of a knee problem for rookie running back Jordan James.
Perhaps the area where training camp injuries have been most telling, however, is at cornerback.
With projected starter Renardo Green already dealing with a hamstring injury, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed in a press conference on Thursday that Deommodore Lenoir, the most important piece of the 49er secondary with his ability excel in the slot and as an outside corner, is dealing with hip irritation and will miss at least two more practices.
Neither problem is serious, but the injuries to Green and Lenoir and a reminder that, while they form one of the more intriguing cornerback duos in the league, the depth behind them is extremely shaky.
With Green and Lenoir out of the lineup, the 49ers’ top four corners are rookie Upton Stout, a contender to start in the slot, Tre Brown, Darrell Luter Jr and the recently signed Eli Apple.
Stout has impressed during camp to this point, providing early indications that the 49ers were right to spend a third-round pick to secure his services.
However, the fact remains that he is still a rookie who would be playing one of the most difficult positions in the NFL. Brown started only 13 games in his previous four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and, while Apple has substantial experience, the reality is he is long past the point where the 49ers would feel comfortable putting him out there as a starter. Luter has never started an NFL game.
The 49ers will hope that Stout continues to show positive strides and that they begin to see some development from a player in Luter of whom they think highly.
Still, there’s no escaping the point that, right now, the cupboard at corner when Green and Lenoir are out is worryingly bare. The 49ers can afford to be excited about a revamped defense, but their lack of cornerback depth remains a reason for nerves going into 2025.