SI Picks Deommodore Lenoir as the 49ers' Breakout Player for 2024
![October 8, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (2) tackles Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup (13) during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports October 8, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (2) tackles Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup (13) during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2195,h_1234,x_0,y_85/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_49ers/01j2y2pavqh7rerk8mty.jpg)
Last season, the 49ers' breakout players were Brandon Aiyuk and Charvarius Ward.
Ward went to his first Pro Bowl, and while Aiyuk wasn't a Pro Bowl selection, he was a second-team All Pro. Both had by far the best seasons of their careers.
Who will be the 49ers' breakout player this year? We're talking someone who never has been a Pro Bowler or an All Pro.
Recently, the publishers for FanNation On SI selected breakout candidates for all 32 teams, and for the 49ers I picked fourth-year cornerback Deommodore Lenoir.
"He’s entering the final season of his rookie contract, so he needs to perform well to get a big payday," I wrote. "And he has improved all three seasons he has been in the NFL. Last season, he started all 17 games, broke up 10 passes, intercepted three and gave up a passer rating of just 75.2 while playing both outside and in the slot. And he’s only 24."
When Lenoir first entered the NFL, he was a liability. He got benched after just two starts as a rookie and, in his second season he gave up lots of deep catches because he simply was too small and frail to challenge big wide receivers at the catch point.
Near the end of his second season, something shifted. Lenoir began to break up and intercept passes at a much higher rate. Suddenly, he wasn't a liability at all -- he was a weapon for the 49ers. And he carried over that performance to last season when he started every game and gave up just one touchdown catch.
This will be the season when Lenoir gets the recognition he deserves.