49ers roster: 5 players on bubble who need strong training camp

No. 3: 49ers Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir

Ideally, the Niners want nothing more than their fifth-round NFL Draft pick, Oregon cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, to thrive during training camp and compete for one of the primary depth spots at this position behind the likely trio of starters, Jason Verrett, Emmanuel Moseley and K’Waun Williams.

Lenoir, despite his feistiness and physicality, had his share of struggles during OTAs where he had difficulty keeping up with some of the faster pass-catchers on San Francisco’s roster.

Additionally, Lenoir’s relatively sluggish 4.34 20-yard shuttle at his pro day suggests he doesn’t have the quick-twitch reaction skills to match receivers on the inside, and the lack of straight-line speed on the boundary could work against him.

Luckily for the rookie, OTAs don’t allow press coverage to take place, and one of Lenoir’s biggest strengths is jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage and bumping them off their routes.

While Lenoir stands a better chance than many other defensive backs on the roster fringes, he’ll need to showcase this intensity during training camp to prove his worth and hang around.