49ers defensive back considered as one of NFL’s ‘low-key’ MVPs

It’s been quite the revamp for the San Francisco 49ers this offseason on the defensive side of the ball, as they released several veteran starters, while letting others walk in free agency.

With hopes of getting younger, the 49ers primarily focused on the 2025 NFL Draft, kicking things off with five straight defensive selections, addressing all three levels of the defense.

Now, San Francisco enters the 2025 season with a new-look defense, where the newcomers like first-round pick Mykel Williams are already attracting much of the attention.

While it is a retooling offseason for the 49ers, they still have quite a few building blocks, namely Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, who have been perennial All-Pro candidates.

But, there is another key underrated piece that has continued to grow since entering the league in 2021: cornerback Deommodore Lenoir.

Lenoir has played a handful of roles while with the 49ers, seeing time at outside cornerback and at the nickel, where he has quietly become one of the NFL’s best at the position.

Former college quarterback and NFL scout Nate Tice recently compiled a list of four ‘lowkey’ MVPs in the NFL, pointing out players who do some in-between things and have more of an impact on their team’s success than first meets the eye.

Lenoir cut the list alongside Pittsburgh Steelers center Zach Frazier, Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, and Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Teair Tart.

“A former fifth-round draft pick, Lenoir earned a nearly $40 million guaranteed payday in November that maybe makes this “low-key” designation ill-fitting,” Tice wrote. “But Lenoir has turned into one of the best defenders in the NFL at the critical slot defender position, with the versatility to still be a strong starting cornerback on the outside when needed.

“Lenoir finished 2024 with five tackles for loss against the run (tied for second among slot defenders) and nine passes defended (ranking fifth), as well as a 63.6 QB rating when he was the closest defender targeted, fourth-best among slot defenders last season. He’s a tough, explosive, smart player who helps make throwing between the numbers against the 49ers a risky adventure for quarterbacks with All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner also nearby.

“The 49ers have been trying to add more beef to their front seven this offseason, but Lenoir has been an impact player in Santa Clara and could take another step forward as the 49ers continue to transform their defense.”

The slot cornerback position has become more and more important in modern-day defenses, as teams are shifting to heavier snaps with nickel personnel to counter the spread offenses that have taken over the league.

Lenoir’s versatility and play style have helped the 49ers take advantage of that nickel package, making him a suitable pick for the “lowkey” MVP spot over other candidates.

“The league is littered with slot dynamos right now,” Tice continued, “from starters like Detroit’s Brian Branch and the Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton/Marlon Humphrey pairing to rookie needle-mover Cooper DeJean in Philadelphia to about another dozen other young talented players (Devon Witherspoon! Kyler Gordon! Roger McCreary! Dru Phillips! Jalen Pitre! I’m sure I’m missing one!) on top of vets like Mike Hilton and Taron Johnson.

“Garrett Williams also deserves some love as a key player on the Cardinals’ psychedelic defense who could be a surprisingly strong unit this season. Budda Baker is the skeleton key of that defense, but Williams has become a standout player in his own right as a versatile playmaker who is seemingly always near the ball.

“But I’ll go with Lenoir as the low-key MVP at this position. And he’ll have to play like it to fend off the competition from his own specialty across the league.”