Deommodore Lenoir can secure a 49ers roster spot if he plays well vs. Vikings

The 49ers don’t have too much room for depth cornerbacks, but Deommodore Lenoir is back trending in the right direction heading into preseason Week 2.

Earlier this offseason, the context didn’t look good for second-year cornerback Deommodore Lenoir to make the San Francisco 49ers’ 53-man roster in 2022.

Lenoir, the Niners’ fifth-round NFL Draft choice from 2021, struggled down the stretch his rookie year all the way to being relegated to special teams duties, even to the point where he was benched entirely for Week 18.

That particular game against the Los Angeles Rams was one where fellow 2021 rookie cornerback, Ambry Thomas, shined with a game-sealing overtime interception, capping off what had been his own dramatic improvement since struggling earlier in the year.

With Thomas seemingly on the rise, coupled with San Francisco signing corner Charvarius Ward and re-signing injured corner Jason Verrett, signs didn’t look good for Lenoir to hang around.

However, as is always the case within the league, that context has changed since earlier this offseason.

A lot.

Deommodore Lenoir has been the 49ers riser, not Ambry Thomas

Thomas might not have been in serious contention for a starting job in 2022, at least not with Ward freshly in the picture. But Thomas’ stock value was certainly higher than that of Lenoir entering training camp.

However, it was Lenoir who stood out the most during those practice sessions, not Thomas, the latter seemingly attached to a daily 20-yard reception allowed, which relegated him to frequently working with the third-string unit.

Likewise, during the 49ers’ preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers, Thomas was hit with an illegal-contact penalty, gave up a 12-yard reception on his other lone target and also missed a tackle, none of which bodes well for his own roster chances.

In contrast, Lenoir’s efforts during the game counted for allowing just one reception for 9 yards on three targets.

However, Lenoir’s touchdown-saving tackle on Packers running back B.J. Baylor certainly stood out:

https://twitter.com/packers/status/1558281355125002241

At the University of Oregon, Lenoir wasn’t particularly known for his straight-line speed, and chasing down a running back isn’t always the same as chasing down a speedy wide receiver.

However, this all-out effort play to save a touchdown (even if it’s just preseason action) should go a long way.

How Deommodore Lenoir can secure a 49ers roster spot vs. Vikings

The Niners visit the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2 of the preseason but will be notably shorthanded at cornerback.

Ward and fellow corner Emmanuel Moseley are both out with soft-tissue injuries, while Verrett remains on the physically unable-to-perform list and might be a candidate to stay there into the regular season, returning at a date yet to be determined.

The versatile Dontae Johnson is also out with a ribs injury, too.

And with San Francisco bidding farewell to veteran cornerback Darqueze Dennard as part of the first wave of roster cuts, there’s one fewer defensive back with whom Lenoir has to compete to make the 53-man roster.

All this points to Lenoir seeing plenty of field time against Minnesota on Saturday, Aug. 20, when these two teams square off for exhibition action. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the second-year pro start the game and potentially play out the first half before giving way to other corners who stand only a slim chance of making the regular-season roster.

Should Lenoir maintain the trend of being the better-performing cornerback over Thomas, the former’s chances of securing one of the back-end slots on the depth chart should be all but guaranteed.