Deommodore Lenoir suggested Steve Wilks change the 49ers’ strategy for the Super Bowl

Rising cornerback Deommodore Lenoir saved the 49ers defense with his outstanding play in the slot during the 2023 NFL season. However, the 24-year-old surprisingly spent almost the entire duration of San Francisco's Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on the outside, a tactical error that could have influenced the outcome of the game.

During an appearance on “The Richard Sherman Podcast,” Lenoir detailed how he approached former defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after a detailed film study to ensure he was put in the best possible position to help the 49ers win the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which had eluded the franchise since the mid-1990s.

“I spoke with [Steve] Wilks before the game and I just told them how I felt,” Lenoir told Sherman. “I watch a lot of film, so I just saw where the ball was going. And I was like, 'He's mainly between the hashes, he's going in the slots.' They don't have a real dominant outside player, so I told them I felt like I should be in the slot this game.”

Wilks did not heed Lenoir's advice and San Francisco's secondary struggled to contain Kansas City's passing attack in the middle of the field in the heartbreaking loss. Lenoir admitted that was the only time he ever made a schematic suggestion of that nature, and although Wilks did not implement his suggested strategy, the 24-year-old cornerback was still determined to follow any instructions he received from the San Francisco coaching staff.

“I would never question a coach, never question decisions or anything like that,” Lenoir said. “That was the only time I came to them and said that. They have [their] philosophy and what they thought worked, what would work, and they made that decision. I thought, okay, 'I'm just going to go ahead and try to do everything I can to help us win.'”

Despite a fantastic performance all around from Lenoir, the 49ers fell just short of expectations. The game-winning goal came on a play where Chiefs slot receiver Mecole Hardman broke free in overtime and scored the game-winning touchdown – one of many plays where Lenoir potentially could have made the difference had he been lined up inside.

According to Pro Football Focus, Lenoir recorded at least 30 snaps as a slot cornerback in each of San Francisco's five previous games before the Super Bowl, including 35 and 36, respectively, in the 49ers' NFC playoff victories over the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.

In Super Bowl LVIII, only two of Lenoir's 78 defensive snaps were inside.

Wilks was fired less than a week after the devastating Super Bowl loss, raising legitimate questions about how much his defensive game plan on the biggest stage contributed to San Francisco's decision to cut ties with the veteran coach after just one season.

Earlier this week, Lenoir expressed his frustration with the 49ers defense's inability to finish games under Wilks.

“I feel like we're just hanging on at the end,” Lenoir said after practice Monday. “I feel like it was games that… I mean, we didn't start fast, but we didn't finish strong. The games that we lost, I feel like if we just finish in the fourth game, [quarter]If we were breathing down people's necks, we'd be Super Bowl champions.”

However, the young cornerback is confident that new defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen and assistant head coach Brandon Staley can fix the problems that kept San Francisco close to a championship six months ago.

“Oh yes, definitely,” said Lenoir. “They always blame us for the little things and the little details.”

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