The loss of Emmanuel Moseley for the season initially stung the 49ers.
Moseley had been playing at a Pro Bowl level. The pairing of him and Charvarius Ward tightened the loose ends of the 49ers defense. Once he was out, it forced Deommodore Lenoir into the starting role, which looked like was going to be a clear weakness for the 49ers the rest of the way.
It looked like it at first. Lenoir was picked on against the Falcons and Chiefs. He was a definite liability on defense. However, Lenoir started to pick it up incredibly and began settling in. Since those two games against Atlanta and Kansas City, Lenoir has been making major strides in 2022.
“I think D-Mo each week, I’ve seen more and more confidence,” said DeMeco Ryans. “I think it showed really versus Arizona when he’s matched up versus (DeAndre) Hopkins and we knew that was a big challenge for us and he went out there and he competed and made a play versus him and I think that really helped him.”
Lenoir should have been burnt toast against DeAndre Hopkins, but he held his own. He’s solidified the cornerback spot and is shrinking the hole left by Moseley. Lenoir last year always looked comfortable being able to stick with his receiver to me. He moves fluidly and doesn’t get spun around when defending routes so easily. That much was evident in training camp from what I saw and the preseason action. He’s getting that groove now that he is the starter.
