Sam Womack was the 49ers' defensive darling during training camp and preseason.
Womack, a rookie selected in the fifth round in April, earned playing time at nickel cornerback in San Francisco's first two regular-season contests. But in the 49ers' ugly 11-10 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday night, it was Deommodore Lenoir getting the playing time at the nickel spot while Womack occupied the sideline.
"We just liked how he's been looking," Shanahan said of Lenoir on a conference call Monday. "We were trying to put the best people out there that we think gives us the best chance to win, and just from the last few weeks, and watching him practice and everything, we felt that was D-Mo, and I was real happy with how he played too."
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Lenoir, a fifth-round pick in 2021, was on the field for nearly half (47 percent) of the 49ers' defensive snaps in Denver and compiled five tackles (one for loss), one pass defensed, and one quarterback hurry.
Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson targeted a receiver in Lenoir's coverage six times, resulting in four completions for just four yards.
"I thought he was one of the better guys out there last night," Shanahan said Monday.
Womack played two total defensive snaps in Denver but made an impact with both opportunities. Midway through the fourth quarter, Womack stripped Broncos running back Melvin Gordon of the football, though the Broncos recovered.
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On the next play, Womack tackled Wilson after the quarterback gained 12 yards on the ground.
Over the previous two weeks, Womack was targeted in coverage four times and yielded three receptions for 35 yards while playing 52.3 percent of the defensive snaps.
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During the preseason, Womack looked like a late-round steal as he intercepted two passes in the 49ers' exhibition against the Green Bay Packers and recovered a fumble on special teams the next week against the Minnesota Vikings.
No matter who starts at nickel corner, the 49ers have proved to be an elite defense against the pass. Through three games, San Francisco leads the NFL in fewest passing yards allowed per contest (148.3) and ranks third overall in points surrendered per game (12.3).
It's a trend the 49ers aim to continue in Week 4 when they face the division rival Los Angeles Rams on "Monday Night Football."