Lenoir reveals surprising response to toughest NFL receiver he’s ever faced Originally appeared in NBC Bay Area Sports
As the saying goes, to be the best you have to compete with the best.
And the Deommodore Lenoir of the 49ers He’s had more opportunities against the NFL’s best receivers than many other No. 2 cornerbacks.
This is partly due to having two elite wide receivers on his own team, as Lenoir recently highlighted.
During an interview on Thursday’s episode of “The Richard Sherman Podcast” Lenoir revealed the toughest receivers he’s faced during his NFL career.
Justin Jefferson From the Minnesota Vikings, understandably, was Lenoir’s first response.
“That was the first dominant receiver I ever faced… that was the first one I could really defend,” he told Sherman. “It’s going to be a different approach this year because I’m kind of over that rookie and sophomore phase. So it’s going to be a different battle.”
For those wondering, the 49ers visit Minnesota in Week 2, so Lenoir will soon get a chance to prove himself against the highest-paid receiver in the league.
After Jefferson, Lenoir quoted two of his teammates: Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel — as one of the toughest matchups in the league. Those practice matchups have given the fourth-year corner significant confidence that carries over into games, which is presumably why he likes his chances against Jefferson.
Lenoir has yet to face Aiyuk in practice this year due to the wide receiver’s lack of flexibility. Ongoing contract dispute and strikebut they have experience between them in past training camps and even going back to University in the now-dissolved Pac-12.
“Throughout training camp last year, we were struggling,” Lenoir explained. “He was lining up on the right side X all the time, and I play right corner. So I got to see that every day in practice… I feel like that helped my game improve as well.”
And while he offers a very different test than Aiyuk and Jefferson, Samuel has also helped Lenoir develop his game.
“Also, when you play against Deebo, you never know what you’re going to get from him. He can line up anywhere and do whatever he wants, really. He’s one of those players,” Lenoir added. “And then he’s got the ball in his hands and you’ve got to tackle him.”
“I feel like they all played a big role in making me who I am.”
It’s certainly not a bad trio of players to build a talented youngster around. Having two on the same team certainly speaks to San Francisco’s consistent success of late and the potential for more in the future.