How NFL draft snub fuels Lenoir’s ascent to 49ers stardom

SANTA CLARA — Twenty-six cornerbacks were picked in the 2021 NFL draft before the 49ers called Deommodore Lenoir's name in the fifth round. That bothers him to this day. "My mindset was I hope I get drafted early," Lenoir told NBC Sports Bay Area. "But then when I went late, it was fuel. "I know 26 DBs are not better than me in this class. It fueled me. It set me back, because I would have way more respect than what I have now." Now, acknowledgement of the 24-year-old Oregon product's play is at an all-time high — and still growing — after he played both on the outside, opposite of Charvarius Ward, and inside at nickel last season. Such a transition rarely is made mid-season, as Lenoir did it, and even less frequently throughout a game. Lenoir never believed earning respect as a cornerback would be an issue. Not because he saw himself as the best in the game. Because his plan always was to be a star wide receiver. A Fire Sparked Within At Bishop Mora Salesian High School in Los Angeles, Lenoir was a two-way player who not only racked up 663 receiving yards and seven touchdowns but also threw the ball for 595 yards and another six scores. But it was his 52 tackles, two forced...