49ers roster: 5 players on thin ice entering training camp
By Peter Panacy
49ers thin-ice player No. 3: Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir
It can be tough giving up on a second-year defensive back, especially knowing how easy it is for them to struggle to transition to life at the pro level.
In the case of San Francisco’s fifth-round pick from the 2021 NFL Draft, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, one almost saw a period of regression, starting off with hot performances during rookie minicamp, training camp and into the preseason before he drastically flattened out once the regular season commenced.
By year’s end, Lenoir was relegated to the bench on defense and special teams’ use only.
Heading into year two, Lenoir’s prospects for securing a spot on the 53-man roster won’t be easy. The 49ers reinforced this position group by signing former Kansas City Chiefs corner Charvarius Ward to a lucrative contract, then doubled down in the NFL Draft by grabbing nickel corner Samuel Womack.
Tack on the re-signing of oft-injured veteran Jason Verrett, and it’s not hard to see why the odds are stacked against Lenoir.
To survive being waived, the former Oregon Duck will have to beat out depth corners like Dontae Johnson, Tariq Castro-Fields, Ambry Thomas and Darqueze Dennard during training camp to even have a fighting chance of hanging around.
That’ll be tough.