Deommodore Lenoir has already faced plenty of challenges in the 2025 season, and the 49ers’ top cornerback has passed those tests with flying colors.
Moved to outside corner full-time again after rookie Upton Stout won the starting nickel job, Lenoir has consistently been tasked with facing an opponent’s best receiver, and each week he has excelled.
Indeed, through five weeks, Lenoir has given up just 84 yards when targeted in coverage, per Pro Football Focus, allowing only seven yards per reception.
Per Sumer Sports, Lenoir’s EPA per target allowed is -0.123, an excellent number that puts him in the top 22 percent of defensive backs in coverage efficiency.
Lenoir has excelled in shutting down receivers despite coming up against Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chris Olave, Marvin Harrison Jr, Brian Thomas Jr, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
Thomas is the receiver to have the most success against him, catching three passes for 29 yards. No other receiver to face Lenoir has more than 14 yards when targeted with the former fifth-round pick as the covering defender.
This week, however, Lenoir will arguably face his toughest test in the form of Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Emeka Egbuka.
Egbuka is the frontrunner for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award after a sensational start to his career.
In last week’s win over the Seattle Seahawks, Egbuka went for 163 yards and a touchdown on seven catches, taking him to 25 receptions, 445 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions through five games. He became the first player in NFL history with at least 25 receptions, 400 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions in his first five career games.
A superb route-runner with excellent ball tracking ability who can damage at all three levels of the defense, Egbuka is sure to be the top target for Baker Mayfield in the absence of Chris Godwin and Mike Evans.
Lenoir is unlikely to shadow Egbuka on every snap, but the snaps on which he does line up across from the first-round pick figure to be critical to the 49ers’ success in slowing down the Bucs.
Against Nacua and Adams, Lenoir relied on very physical coverage in his efforts to slow them down, and he was flagged three times for defensive holding penalties.
While Lenoir needs to be careful to avoid similar penalties this week against a route-runner of Egbuka’s talents, the book on the former Ohio State star coming out of college was that he had issues when redirected by physical coverage.
As such, expect Lenoir to employ a similar approach when attempting to keep Egbuka quiet. If he succeeds in what can be considered his toughest test of the season so far, the 49ers will be in a better spot to pull off another upset and improve to 5-1.
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