The San Francisco 49ers might have one of the NFL's premier cornerback duos this season. Charvarius Ward is widely recognized as one of the league's top defensive backs. However, Deommodore Lenoir, the less heralded member of this tandem, is proving to be a formidable opponent as he enters his fourth NFL season.
Lenoir has emerged as one of the standout younger players during training camp, regularly observed in tight coverage or breaking up passes against 49ers wide receivers.
"He's a baller," quarterback Brock Purdy told reporters after Sunday's practice. "He's got just good ball instincts, and he understands football well. He's gotten more and more reps, obviously, as his career has gone on."
Last season, Lenoir played 90 percent of the defensive snaps, totaling a career-high 981 snaps over 17 games. His 72.5 defensive grade and 72.6 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus were career bests and ranked second only to Ward among 49ers cornerbacks.
Lenoir has demonstrated his readiness to meet any challenge the 49ers present, seamlessly transitioning between outside and inside coverage. When asked about Lenoir's performance so far in training camp, defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen emphasized the player's versatility.
"I think it's been solid," Sorensen said. "Being able to go inside, outside, I think he's taken that next step. Another year of just being comfortable and being able to see it. Like I've said in the past, it's tough to do that within a game, to play inside and outside."
Sorensen also noted that Lenoir has made significant strides at both positions and is proving to be a strong competitor against the offense during practice.
"Every time we walk up to the line, and I see him in man coverage, I'm like, 'All right, it's going to be a battle here,'" Purdy continued. "He pushes our guys. He pushes me. I've got to be accurate with the ball because he's going to be on the back hip pretty tightly, and he's made some really good plays.
"So going up against him, and a bunch of the DBs, [Isaac Yiadom], and obviously the linebackers in the middle, and [Ji'Ayir Brown] in the back, we got a great defense [to go against] every rep. So they're all pushing us, but Demo's doing a great job."
Lenoir finished last season with 84 tackles, including one for a loss, three interceptions, and 10 passes defensed. Entering a pivotal contract year, he hopes his improvement will help the 49ers reach their long-sought Super Bowl aspirations.