49ers: 5 players who aren’t helping their roster chances during OTAs

No. 1: 49ers Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir

Again, rookies are under the spotlight. And San Francisco hopes its two cornerbacks selected in the NFL Draft, Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lenoir, can eventually become quality pieces within a secondary likely to see some drastic changes the next couple of years.

Ambry, the third-round pick, appears to be much safer than the Round 5 selection, Lenoir.

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While Lenoir’s 5-foot-10 frame works against him in some ways, the bigger concern so far is the lack of quick-twitch reaction skills and overall speed. His 4.45 40-yard time at his pro day isn’t terrible at all, per se, but his 4.34 20-yard shuttle is a bit worrisome when it comes to looking at how he’ll react to changes in direction.

And according to Grant Cohn, Lenoir’s first week of OTA practices wasn’t going so well at all:

"Gave up a long catch over the middle to Deebo Samuel who was running an over route. Lenoir isn’t particular big, fast or explosive, which is a problem for an NFL cornerback."

True, rookie defensive backs frequently struggle early on. There’s going to be plenty of time for Lenoir to improve between now and when roster cuts are announced.

But being a fifth-round pick puts Lenoir into a precarious spot, especially if he’s not able to take advantage of some of the early reps he’s receiving.

For now, Lenoir is squarely on the roster bubble entering the final phase of OTAs.