Deommodore Lenoir making most of his chances during 49ers OTAs

Deommodore Lenoir has turned some heads to begin his pro football career, as the cornerback has impressed in both minicamp and OTAs.

There’s usually at least one player who comes out of nowhere in OTAs to make people sit up and take notice.

Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir right now looks to be that player for the San Francisco 49ers.

When it comes to the fifth round of the NFL Draft, head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch more often than not contrive to find a player that defies expectations.

Linebacker Dre Greenlaw has punched well above his weight as a fifth-round selection in 2019 and injuries were the only thing that stopped cornerback D.J. Reed and wide receiver Trent Taylor from bigger roles on the team before they left for greener pastures. And, of course, the crown jewel remains All-Pro tight end George Kittle, one of the best offensive weapons in the NFL.

Lenoir, one of the three fifth-round selections the Niners had this year, has turned heads in OTAs, and all eyes will be on him to see if he can replicate his performance in training camp.

Fellow cornerback Jason Verrett was full of praise for Lenoir and fellow rookie cornerback Ambry Thomas, saying:

"D-Mo, that’s a guy that I think has come along real well just from the first time of seeing the film of him at rookie minicamp,” Verrett said. “A guy that’s really good at press. I definitely watched him all throughout this time he’s been here. The second that he gets more comfortable out there, he could definitely be a good player for us. Along with Ambry, he’s a guy who’s real versatile, fast, and so far a lot of the rookies have been playing well."

And most people will have seen the footage of Lenoir monstering a wide receiver in minicamp before nabbing an interception:

Lenoir has put every right foot forward that he possibly could have right now. He’s landed in a good home as well, as there’s very little depth behind the incumbent starters which means the team is just simply desperate for somebody to step up.

Lenoir is stepping up, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can continue to stand up in training camp and the preseason games.