Deommodore Lenoir, a foundational piece of the 49ers’ restructured future, has been named the 2025 winner of the Dwight Clark Award.
The award honors the current 49ers player who best exemplifies the late wide receiver’s “spirit of teamwork and camaraderie.”
Lenoir, 26, will be the focus of a program at the Hammer Theater in San Jose on May 21 that includes 49ers legends. It is selected by a panel of voters connected with the Dwight Clark Legacy Series.
Instituted three years after Clark’s death from ALS in 2018, previous winners to collect the award’s bronze football include tight end George Kittle (2021), defensive tackle Arik Armstead (2022), linebacker Fred Warner (2023) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (2024).
At a time when the 49ers were 6-8 and anticipating a major roster overhaul, the 49ers, with Lenoir heading into a free agent year, locked him up for five years and a maximum of $92 million. It makes him the unquestioned leader of the defensive secondary after being a fifth-round draft pick out of Oregon in the 2021 NFL Draft, No. 172 overall.
Lenoir finished the season with 85 tackles, nine pass deflections, a forced fumble and two interceptions, but his contributions go beyond stats because of his rare position versatility.
Neither a prototype cornerback nor slot corner at 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, Lenoir excels at both spots. He played as an outside corner along with Charvarius Ward and later Renaldo Green, then moved inside on some passing downs. He displayed the tenacity, toughness and coverage ability to defend both boundaries and between the hashes in an ear where most corners do one or the other.
“I’d rather just say I’m a football player, Lenoir said in an interview in early December. “I can fit in wherever is needed.”
Lenoir became the first player to sign an in-season extension since Greenlaw in 2022. Others who earned second contracts included Kittle (August 2020), Warner (2021), Deebo Samuel (2022), Nick Bosa (2023) and Brandon Aiyuk (2024). Kittle received his third contract this week, a four-year deal worth a maximum of $76.4 million.
“DMo’s been a stud. He is exactly what you want of 49er to play like,” coach Kyle Shanahan said last December.
Other than the fact that he’ll be on the field for virtually every snap, Lenoir’s role in 2025 has yet to be defined. Both he and second-year player Renardo Green will be starters. The 49ers drafted two rookies — Upton Stout in the fourth round and Marques Sigle in the fifth round — who may figure into the club’s plans in the slot.
“We’re going to let it play out,” Shanahan said Friday. “DMo is great inside, I think he’s great outside. We see Upton as an inside player. DMo can do either, but I think it’s easier for a guy when he can stay at one spot. We’ll work through that in OTAs and training camp and see how it ends up.”
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Dwelley back in the fold: Ross Dwelley, who played six seasons with the 49ers as a reserve tight end and special teams player, has returned to the franchise after spending one season with the Atlanta Falcons.
Dwelley has 45 career receptions for 523 yards and five touchdowns. He played in 17 games last season in Atlanta and caught one pass for five yards while playing 105 snaps on offense and 166 on special teams. He joins Kittle, free agent Luke Farrell, third-year Brayden Willis and Jake Tonges on the roster.