The 49ers have unlocked a new dual-threat weapon — this time on defense

SANTA CLARA — Deommodore Lenoir is used to being overlooked, and not just because at 5-foot-10 he’s closer to the ground than most in his position.

He was good enough in high school in Los Angeles to be recruited by Oregon, where he was good enough to ascend to the All-Pac-12 second team and good enough to be drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the 49ers.

There were 171 players selected before the 49ers called, 26 of them cornerbacks. Lenoir had a chance to make a roster but was no one’s idea of a shutdown or Pro Bowl cornerback.

Yet in his third season, Lenoir is good enough to be considered on the verge of greatness by middle linebacker Fred Warner.

“Demo doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves,” Warner said.

If there is a versatility match on defense to what the 49ers have on offense with Christian McCaffrey, it’s Lenoir. McCaffrey excels as a running back and a receiver. But there are a lot more running backs who do both than there are cornerbacks who pull the rare double of playing outside corner and in the slot on a down-to-down basis — and do it at a high level.

“I still feel I’ve got a lot more to prove to myself, setting a standard and goals,” Lenoir said. “There are a lot of great players on this team so it’s hard to get noticed, but I don’t pay attention to it. Be one of 11 and be the best person I can for this team.”

Lenoir will be tested both outside and inside Sunday when the 49ers visit the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship Game. In base defense alignments, Lenoir will play right cornerback, then in the nickel (five defensive backs) he will defend slot receivers and put his 200-pound body in position to be pancaked and/or blindsided by linemen while defending the run.

Greg Papa calls the HUGE interception by Deommodore Lenoir

@49ers pic.twitter.com/CmqJ1BEDCo

— KNBR (@KNBR) October 15, 2023

It didn’t start out that way, with Lenoir playing on the outside with free agent Isaiah Oliver signed to be the slot corner after veteran Jimmie Ward departed in free agency. The 49ers toyed with the idea of making Lenoir a slot corner last season before settling on moving Ward there from free safety after determining Tashaun Gipson could handle the deep middle.

After first having Lenoir and Oliver split time at nickel, the 49ers emerged from their bye and a three-game losing streak by starting Lenoir on the outside, then having him move inside  for three wide-receiver sets with Ambry Thomas playing right corner.

Oliver has played just six defensive snaps in the three games during which the 49ers have given up a combined 30 points, with Lenoir and Thomas both thriving.

While life can be lonely as an outside corner who isn’t being tested, it’s never a problem as a slot corner.

“I would say there’s never a dull moment because you can always do something,” Lenoir said. “You’re closer to the ball and you can make something happen and I kind of like that for myself because I feel like I can be in there and can cause a lot of disruption.”

While Ward performed admirably as a slot corner, he would rather play free safety and told coach Kyle Shanahan and former DeMeco Ryans as much. Lenoir was ready and willing for the dual role.

“Demo has been so good on the outside and when we ask him to go inside, he plays the exact same way,” Shanahan said. “Wherever Demo stays at, he always gets really good at it. We need him in both areas, which puts a lot of stress on him, but I can’t tell you how happy I’ve been with his style of play.”

As a nickel corner, Lenoir at 200 pounds basically operates as a linebacker, only with greater coverage responsibilities. He’s an enthusiastic tackler who trails only Warner and Dre Greenlaw in tackles and he has two interceptions.

Lenoir picked up some pointers on playing the slot from Ward as well as K’Waun Williams, who played the position for the Niners in Lenoir’s rookie year. As good as those two were as slot corners, they weren’t ever going to be asked to do what Lenoir is doing.

“That just wasn’t their game,” Warner said. “You just don’t find a lot of guys who can do what Demo does at a high level. I mean, Mooney (Charvarius Ward) is a pure outside corner. One of the best. But he’s not a nickel. At nickel, you have to do what linebackers do at the second level, and that’s a hard task for a smaller guy.”

Lenoir, who still reaches out to Williams and Jimmie Ward, has been told playing nickel is all about “feel” and being attuned to everything.

“It’s about reading body languages, everything slowing down, knowing where your run gap is, knowing your receiver splits,” Lenoir said. “It’s the right move with how the defense looks right now. We play a lot faster when I’m there and it’s the way to get the best 11 on the field.”