Back in the spring, 49ers rookie cornerbacks Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lenoir were (by their own admissions) lost as they tried to find their way through the maze of things being thrown at them in their first days in the NFL.
But Thomas and Lenoir have started to find their way since then, which is a positive sign for a 49ers secondary that will most likely need them to step up at some point this season.
Thomas, who was selected in Round 3 of the 2021 NFL Draft out of the University of Michigan, and Lenoir, who was a fifth-round selection out of the University of Oregon, both project as key backups for the 49ers at cornerback this year behind veterans in Jason Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley and nickel corner K'Waun Williams. Given the injury history of each of those veterans and the depth situation at the position, Thomas and Lenoir will need to be ready to play as soon as the season begins.
So... will they be ready? Lenoir believes they will, after going through a confusing start during organized team activities (OTAs) in May and June.
"When the opportunity presents itself, I think we'll be ready," Lenoir told reporters after practice Thursday. "We're just taking it one day at a time and just learning as much knowledge as we can so when our number is called we can go out and make plays."
It's safe to wonder if Thomas or Lenoir would have felt as confident in their states of readiness if they were asked the same question back in the spring, based on what they said Thursday. Lenoir told reporters his comfort level has improved since May and June but admitted he and Thomas were a bit clueless at first until special teams coach Richard Hightower told veteran safety Jimmie Ward to give them some advice.
"I'm actually getting more comfortable with finding out where I've got to be and what I've got to do," Lenoir said. "In OTAs, it was crazy. It was like a culture shock. I didn't know where to go. (Ambry and I) were following each other like we didn't know where to go. And I remember Coach Hightower screaming at Jimmie like, 'Jimmie, take them under your wing!' Then we'd just follow Jimmie everywhere, so it was kind of funny."
Thomas and Lenoir also said they were surprised and humbled by their first taste of the NFL. For Thomas, it was the speed of the game, although things have started to slow down for him in training camp.
"The game speed, it started off super fast, but now it's starting to slow back down," Thomas said Thursday. "I'm starting to learn my stuff. I'm not out there thinking. I'm just learning to play now."
As for Lenoir, he felt playing cornerback in the NFL would be similar to what he experienced in college but quickly discovered things would be more complicated than he expected.
"Yeah, it was very surprising," Lenoir said. "I thought it was actually going to be the same as college, just a little bit faster. But it's actually more detailed than everything."
Fortunately, Thomas and Lenoir have had the luxury of having each other to lean on as they learn the ropes. Having that factor in common has helped each of them as they learn about life in the pros.
"That's a blessing also, just (having) someone that we competed in high school, we played at The Opening together, we played at the Army Bowl together," Lenoir said. "So we're kind of familiar with each other."
Thomas added, "During rookie OTAs, we'd both sit up in our hotel room and watch film together and break down our receivers together. It's been a blessing honestly to just have somebody in the cornerback room with me that's a rookie just like me as well, and knowing I'm not the only one out there that's just lost."
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that both Thomas and Lenoir have had their highs and lows but that he's been impressed with how they've been able to bounce back after things go wrong.
"Anytime you're a corner and you come out of college, you think it's going to be easy," Shanahan said. "You've got a lot of ups and downs. What's been cool is when those guys have had bad days, I really love how they've responded the next day. I think they're both guys who aren't going to run from stuff, who want to compete. Those are guys I would like to get a lot of playing time."
Fans will get a chance to see where each player is in their progress when they make their preseason debuts against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday (5:30 p.m. PT). They figure to play a lot during the preseason, and hopefully the next three weeks will prove to be a case of ironing out the wrinkles for each of them instead of needing to continue to find their way.
"Now it's just more focusing on the little details, just really trying to perfect my craft," Thomas said. "I know my weakness, I know what I have to work on. Just trying to tweak those things and make it one of my stronger points."
And while Thomas and Lenoir seem to have grown more comfortable on the field, chances are they're settling in off it as well. Lenoir is a native of Los Angeles, so he likely already knew what to expect when he moved to the Bay Area. But Thomas, who grew up in Michigan, seems to be enjoying his new home. The time difference has proven to be a challenge when it comes to staying in touch with his family, but other than that, he sounds more than satisfied with his surroundings.
"I get out of (practice), they're asleep," Thomas said. "Besides that, I'm loving it out here, honestly. Sun's out all day, I love it. All smiles, good vibes."
