49ers defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks details how they knew Deommodore Lenoir could excel as a nickel.
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00:00 I'm also pretty curious of how you guys thought of that
00:03 He would be the one to be in the slot because he had no prior prior experience right in college at Oregon
00:07 I believe it was very minimal if at all
00:09 So so my question is what what made you guys think that he would be a good fit there as opposed to anywhere else
00:14 You look at his movement skills like he was always quick twitch. You don't know outside or he played outside quite a bit
00:20 But when we got him here, I remember just one on one. It may have been Ricky
00:24 Many camp what knowledge is one of ones you can see the twist up that he got man
00:28 You so twist up he changed direction good
00:31 He was sticky on all the in breaking short in breaking routes to pivot routes
00:34 I'll a he was he was so connected like man this dude to play inside, you know versus a guy
00:38 That's got long myth outside
00:40 No, I'm saying it's more of a long stride that change direction that is good
00:43 But they pretty good at the top of the route the demo he good at all three levels level one level two level three
00:48 So he can play press he can play off
00:49 He can play catch and just seeing that just from a skill stand is moving still like oh man
00:53 This guy's going side now. Okay on top of that physically
00:56 We know we can do it but mentally Kenny how did that a lot of guys can't handle that Mitchell you outside?
01:00 You can play birds or you playing man your responsibility ain't as long or as big but when you play a nickel now
01:06 You got more your plate because now you got a 50 run game
01:08 And also you got to fit the past as well
01:10 And then you got play different covers from the zone standpoint may be a buzz player versus being a corner
01:14 I may play retaining a great zebra bell thirds. I'm inside. I got a bliss now. I got play man
01:18 I got play press now. I got play off now. I got I get these stacks these bunches. I get motion now
01:22 It's a lot more going through your thinking process
01:24 For him to able to process that he had a process that process there and his first chiller gave him a chance
01:30 And we seen it. Okay, so we're gonna slowly move a man
01:33 So last year he got a little taste that nipple a little bit last year, but it was his second year
01:38 So like it looked like it was a little bit too much for him
01:40 But then towards the end of the year we kept him at one position on the outside last year
01:45 And that's when he had the two pigs in a playoff season like he started fucking playing his ass off
01:49 Like making big plays and then going into this year, you know, we knew here every time we knew had to Boris Ward
01:55 I'm like, man, how can we get our best five on the field?
01:57 You know, then we signed I said Oliver to come in from a lot off free agency
02:01 Well, I okay
02:02 Maybe you can start nickel now D Mo can carry on for we did last year
02:05 It meant down the outside to play corner and then we just kept rotating inside always trying to you know
02:10 Cross train. Oh guys, you know I'm saying always trying to cross trains cross train. Oh guys play inside and outside
02:18 So it was easier for us in the season this year to put a man nipple and then like you see when you saw the
02:22 Seattle game I think he started off in nickel inside which he started nickel most of this year
02:27 But he saw for nickel then what happened morning something happened to Boris Ward
02:30 I think he tweets his corner whatnot and it came out and also way to move the more outside now
02:34 He had to go play outside and match up against DK
02:37 So just the mindset of D Mo initially that was started everything you gotta have a right mindset to go inside
02:42 You know, it's like if you're a pointy move the linebacker like you really want to hit someone you really want to tackle
02:47 So like D Mo mindset man, he's violent. He's busy. He got the right mindset. They start off there
02:51 Yeah, be with those big bodies actually because I did ask him yesterday about that transition
02:55 He said one of the ways he bottled his games a little bit by Drake Greenlaw in front corner
02:59 Cuz you got to have that hybrid mentality, which is tough because you know, you're like
03:02 It's obvious to be a little skinnier than those big boys
03:05 So, you know, you don't want to get Chuck but it's like you just can't think about that. You gotta be fearless
03:09 That's what he mentions like fearless no doubt in and I defense, you know saying like the playing out defense, man
03:13 We we bother we physical, you know, I'm saying we appreciate every single snap
03:16 You know the swarm to the ball to air for the physicality balance and it starts off on the back seven
03:21 It starts off with Dre and Drake Greenlaw and Fred Warner, you know, them guys running hit all day
03:25 So like you want to be able to hunt with them and the only way to hunt with them
03:29 You got to be able to be physical and you can't hunt with them and be physical
03:32 You can't play in our defense on the back end on the back seven. So he's definitely right about the answer