49ers CB Deommodore Lenoir Calls Brandon Staley a "Genius"

Brandon Staley is entering his first year as a coach with the 49ers and he's already garnering a rave review from the likes of Deommodore Lenoir.

Feb 6, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (2) during a press conference before Super Bowl LVIII at the Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Staley is entering his first year as a coach with the San Francisco 49ers and he's already garnering a rave review from the likes of starting cornerback Deommodore Lenoir.

"He's a genius," said Lenoir. "I really respect him as a coach, as a person. The joy he brings to our room and with just the knowledge of teaching us so many things. It's a blessing to have him here."

Staley has reportedly been working a lot with Lenoir one-on-one, so there has been an established closeness between the two. For Lenoir to call him a genius really shows how he feels like he is ascending in his game in the short time that Staley has been there.

So what exactly has Lenoir learned so far from Staley's coaching?

"Playing the angles of football and playing the percentages," Lenoir said. "He kind of told me that 'the percentages of you getting a fade every down is less likely, so why would you play that with the start of the downs?'"

Lenoir seems to be improving cerebrally thanks to Staley. That will go a long way for him as he looks to take the next step. If there is one underrated aspect for a cornerback, it is how cerebral they have to be. They have to take into account who they are facing, down and distance to predict routes, and overall tendencies.

Not to mention that the 49ers like their corners to come up in run support aggressively. Lenoir does that as both a high-level inside and outside player. He already has some impressive skill that can make him regarded as one of the better cornerbacks in the league.

For him to continue to ascend, he needs to strengthen his mind and be a step ahead of his receiver and the opposing offense. So far it is looking like the addition of Staley is proving to be beneficial to the 49ers, especially if he factors into Lenoir upping his game.