What each 49ers 2021 draftee must do to make 2022 roster
By Peter Panacy
Round 5: 49ers CB Deommodore Lenoir — beat out a lot of other cornerbacks, including Ambry Thomas
Of all the Niners’ 2021 NFL Draft picks, former Oregon cornerback Deommodore Lenoir likely has the toughest road to make the 53-man roster this season.
Lenoir impressed early his rookie year, flashing during training camp and in the preseason before falling flat once the regular season rolled around. By the end of the year, he was benched on defense and only saw the field for special teams play.
That won’t guarantee him a roster spot in light of all the additions San Francisco made at the position this offseason.
Veteran free-agent signee Charvarius Ward is a new face, and he’ll start either opposite Emmanuel Moseley or Jason Verrett, who re-signed on a cheap one-year deal despite tearing his ACL in Week 1 last season. Samuel Womack and Tariq Castro-Fields are going to be roster-spot challengers, too, while other veterans such as Dontae Johnson and Darqueze Dennard will easily make Lenoir’s prospects for securing one of arguably six spots on the regular-season roster that much slimmer.
Lenoir also trended in the opposite direction of Ambry Thomas, the latter ascending as the year moved along, while the former declined.
Considering Lenoir doesn’t have the knack or experience to play nickel, there’s a good chance 2021 will be his lone year in a 49ers uniform.