Oregon cornerback Deommodore Lenoir is one of five players from the Oregon secondary headed to the 2021 NFL Draft. A former high school standout who has been productive in the Pac-12, where does he fit in this deeply talented cornerback class?
Deommodore Lenoir NFL Draft Profile
- Position: Cornerback
- School: Oregon
- Current Year: Senior
- Height: 5’11
- Weight: 195 pounds
Tony Pauline’s Deommodore Lenoir Scouting Report
Positives: Three-year starter who posted a career-best 3 interceptions and 12 pass breakups as a sophomore. Nice-sized corner who displayed consistent progress on the field. Fluid and smooth flipping his hips in transition, mixes it up with receivers, and dives around the field to break up throws.
Instinctive, effectively reads the action and stays with assignments. Tracks the pass in the air, has a nice move to the throw, and shows a burst to the ball out of his plant. Keeps the action in front of him.
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Negatives: Must improve his backpedal and be more consistent moving in reverse. Lacks a second gear.
Analysis: Lenoir is an underrated cornerback who was rarely challenged at Oregon due to his ability to shut down receivers. He possesses enough skills to start in nickel packages at the next level.
Deommodore Lenoir Player Profile
Oregon cornerback Deommodore Lenoir has one of the most impressive high school résumés of any 2021 NFL Draft prospect. Over the course of three highly productive years, he was one of the most talented athletes in the nation.
His rise to being one of the best players in the state of California began as a sophomore at Salesian High School. An incredibly versatile athlete, he put together a sophomore season consisting of 763 rushing yards, 7 rushing touchdowns, and 2 receiving touchdowns on offense.
Lenoir also chipped in on defense with 50 tackles, 7 pass breakups, and a forced fumble. The following season, he added 563 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns. Furthermore, he improved his game as a receiver with 389 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. Additionally, he secured an interception, forced fumble, and logged 48 tackles.
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The four-star prospect had too many offers to enumerate them all. That was even before a senior season where he added quarterback to his list of talents. Lenoir threw for 595 yards and 6 touchdowns for a total of 2,430 yards on offense. Ranked as the number one athlete in the nation, he emerged as an elite cornerback prospect during the US Army All-America Bowl.
Although he had committed to Oregon, then decommitted following a change of coaching staff, he ultimately chose the Ducks over Mississippi State and Nebraska.
Deommodore Lenoir’s college football career at Oregon
Deommodore Lenoir arrived in Oregon at the same time as fellow 2021 NFL Draft cornerback prospect Thomas Graham. As you’d expect from a highly touted recruit, he made an immediate impact. Playing nearly 300 snaps as a true freshman, he saw action in 13 games. Lenoir made the first interception of his college career against Stanford, while adding multiple pass breakups against Arizona.
As a sophomore in 2018, he started every game for Oregon. Ending the season with 52 tackles and 3 interceptions, he finished second on the team with 9 pass breakups. All 3 interceptions came in a two-week span. He secured his first of the season against Washington before intercepting Gardner Minshew twice albeit in defeat to Washington State.
Despite being the most targeted Oregon cornerback in 2019 he played some of his best football that year
Lenoir started 14 games for the Ducks, logging 47 tackles. Choosing him as the Oregon cornerback to target proved to be a futile gameplan. He allowed a meager 54 percent completion percentage to opposing QBs. A one-handed interception proved to be the highlight of a season where he earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors.
He would record another interception against USC in his senior season. Although Lenoir had just six starts in a shortened season, he logged 30 tackles. He also added a pass breakup, an interception, and a forced fumble. As in his junior season, he earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors as he held opposing QBs to just a 53.1 percent completion percentage.
Following his senior season, Oregon cornerback Deommodore Lenoir declared for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Deommodore Lenoir’s best fits in the 2021 NFL Draft
Where does Oregon’s Deommodore Lenoir fit in a deep 2021 NFL Draft cornerback class?
There is some potential versatility to his game as he has lined up both inside and outside for the Ducks. His best fit would be in a zone-based scheme that would certainly make good use of his football instincts. As a result, teams with a historically zone-heavy scheme will seek to secure his services. Some that have a CB need include the Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers, and Seattle Seahawks.
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Oliver Hodgkinson is a staff writer for Pro Football Network. You can follow him on Twitter at @ojhodgkinson.