The San Francisco 49ers battled through injuries to several key players to win 12 games in the regular season and upset the defending Super Bowl champions in the wild-card round before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champions in the divisional round.
That’s an outstanding achievement for a team that finished the year without Brandon Aiyuk, Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and George Kittle, who probably would’ve been in the list of top eight players the 49ers couldn’t lose this past year.
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As we continue to work our way through the season that was, today, we’ll dissect the cornerback room and hand them each a grade for their year-end report card.
Deommodore Lenoir: B+
After signing a monster five-year, $88.9 million deal midway through the 2024 season, Lenoir played the most defensive snaps for the 49ers in 2025. He finished with 61 tackles, five passes defensed and two interceptions while allowing a 90.5 passer rating when targeted (via Pro Football Reference). He was also penalized 10 times, which was tied for the sixth-most in the league.
Renardo Green: C+
Green, San Francisco’s second-round pick in 2024, was the team’s starting cornerback opposite Lenoir. He played and started 14 games and recorded 60 tackles and 10 passes defensed. He allowed an 80.0 passer rating when targeted (69 times).
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Upton Stout: C+
The 5-foot-9 rookie out of Western Kentucky stepped up and proved that he belongs in the NFL, playing 16 games and starting four for the 49ers. He finished the year with 82 tackles, five passes defensed, one sack and one forced fumble. His size limits what he can do in coverage, but he’s often right there to bring down the receiver after a reception.
Darrell Luter Jr.: D+
2025 was Luter’s third season with the team, and he played 271 snaps on defense, which was by far the most opportunities he’s seen in the league, surpassing the 64 defensive snaps he took as a rookie. Still, Luter struggled in coverage reps, surrendering a 101.0 passer rating when targeted. He finished with 28 tackles, one pass defensed and one fumble recovery.
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Chase Lucas: INC
Lucas spent the 2024 season on the team’s practice squad, but he made the roster out of camp in 2025 after showing out in training camp and preseason. He may have played in 15 games, but most of his work was on special teams, playing 204 snaps in the third phase, opposed to just 98 on defense. There may be something there, but he needs more opportunities to show it.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers report card: How well did San Francisco’s CBs play in 2025?
