The San Francisco 49ers may need cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. to step into a larger role on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Luter has logged only 122 defensive snaps this season, but he could earn his second career start with Deommodore Lenoir officially listed as questionable due to a calf injury.

RELATED49ers injury report: Lenoir questionable for Sunday; Purdy, Pearsall cleared to play
Luter's lone start came in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, filling in for Renardo Green, who missed that game with a neck injury.


Lenoir is set to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of his injury and assess his readiness for the NFC West matchup. On Friday, head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed confidence in Luter's readiness should the backup cornerback be called upon.

"I think Lute's taken a big step this year," Shanahan said. "He's always been close to getting some opportunities. I believe it was Jacksonville that he got in and got the most ... I thought he played really well.

"He's been better in practice than he's ever been before, whether it's with the D or with the scout team, so if that happens, we've got a lot of confidence in Lute."

According to Pro Football Focus, Luter currently holds a slightly higher overall defensive grade than Lenoir (63.1 vs. 57.6). While his coverage grade sits at 54.9, Luter's 90.0 run-defense grade ranks first among all active 49ers defenders and makes him the team's second-highest graded defensive back, behind only Chase Lucas (64.3).

San Francisco made Luter a fifth-round pick out of South Alabama in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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