Niners Nation
The 49ers have their cornerback tandem of the future playing in big roles currently.
The San Francisco 49ers had some major news this week, as Deommodore Lenoir agreed to a five-year, $92 million extension with the team, locking him in the Bay Area through 2029.
Lenoir, a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, had been one of the team’s top players all season long, and the 49ers rewarded him with a long-term contract, locking up one of their young, ascending stars before he hit free agency this offseason.
Lenoir’s extension furthers a youth movement from the team, as San Francisco has looked to move off some of their key older players and look towards their younger options for the future.
That has come in line with the team’s focus on drafting their next wave of core players, with their 2024 class already proving to be an influential group, as each of their first four selections has already become starters for the team.
One of those key draftees has been second-round pick Renardo Green, who started the year as the top reserve at cornerback before taking over the second outside cornerback spot over veteran Isaac Yiadom.
Green has been a consistent contributor since Week 6 against the Seattle Seahawks, playing at least 60 percent of the defensive snaps from there on, while producing well as San Francisco’s third cornerback.
Thus far, Green has allowed just a 54.5 percent catch rate, while intercepting a pass and breaking up two others, leading to a passer rating allowed of just 84.8.
Looking to the future, Lenoir’s extension paves the way for Charvarius Ward to hit free agency this offseason, potentially earning another top-dollar deal elsewhere, while Green slots in as a full-time starter in 2025.
Does the coaching staff see similarities in Green and Lenoir early on?
“Just the mindset we’re talking about [is pretty similar between Green and Lenoir],” head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Wednesday. “Renardo in his rookie year, he has got that type. When we drafted Renardo, it’s one of my first notes on him, if I go back to my notes, is he’d rather hit you than get a pick. We want both, but we love guys who are wired that way. Not all corners are wired that way. You’ve got to be able to cover people, but if you can do both, that’s what makes a football team better.”
Green has more of a quiet confidence at the cornerback position, which is unlike the current version of Lenoir, who doesn’t mind letting opponents know his thoughts. However, it was similar to the rookie version of the 25-year-old cornerback, so the 49ers expect Green’s personality to continue to come out as he gets more comfortable as a consistent contributor.
“He doesn’t talk that much,” Shanahan said about Green. “I think he doesn’t open up to everybody. But the longer he’s been here, like you get in a smaller room with him, you get one-on-one, he’ll talk. Just like...
