49ers veteran CB Ward assesses development of Thomas, Lenoir

SANTA CLARA - Top defensive back Charvarius Mooney' Ward believes his young counterparts have made strides this offseason and in 49ers training camp. Both Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lenoir have faced challenges in their first two NFL seasons, but Ward has witnessed improvement by both defensive backs and expects to see results during the upcoming 2023 NFL season. "A.T. was working out with me in Dallas a lot this summer," Ward said on Thursday. "I tried to help his body get stronger and teach him how to be a pro and back-pedal and everything like that. I definitely see improvement in his game, but you can get better every day. "He's getting better. We will see how he continues to progress." The 49ers had high hopes for Thomas when they selected him with the No. 102 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. But sitting out of the 2020 season at Michigan presented a challenge of adjusting to the speed of the NFL game. Towards the end of his rookie campaign, began to figure things out. Thomas started the final five 2021 regular season games and two of the 49ers' three playoff appearances. Last season was a different story, as Thomas only was on the field for 41 defensive snaps and 138 on...