Deommodore Lenoir is the Early MVP of 49ers Training Camp

Enjoy Lenoir while he's here, 49ers fans.

January 20, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (2) pushes Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) out of bounds during the second quarter in a 2024 NFC divisional round game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Last year, the MVP of 49ers training camp was Brandon Aiyuk. He was in a contract year, he dominated every day, carried over that performance to the regular season, earned second team All Pro honors and now is in line to earn more than $25 million per season.

This year, the early MVP of 49ers training camp is another young player in a contract year -- Deommodore Lenoir. He has played every day of camp unlike most of the veterans who take days off. And since the 49ers started wearing pads on Monday, he has intercepted Brock Purdy twice.

Lenoir seems to be one step ahead of the offense when he's playing zone coverage. And when he's playing man to man, no one on the field can beat him, and that includes Deebo Samuel, one of the highest-paid players on the team. On Tuesday, Lenoir intercepted a pass that was intended for Samuel during a one-on-one drill.

To be fair, Brandon Aiyuk hasn't practiced yet this offseason because he's holding in. And when Aiyuk is on the field, he and Lenoir match up quite frequently, and Aiyuk usually wins. But those battles have helped Lenoir improve drastically the past two years.

Lenoir seems to be at his best when he's playing outside -- that's where he makes the buik of his big plays. But he also can play nickelback and cover slot receivers quite well. Which means he's going to make a ton of money next year on the free-agent market if he maintains his current performance. And the 49ers just might not have the budget to re-sign him if they extend Brock Purdy, as they almost certainly will.

So enjoy Lenoir while he's here, 49ers fans.