SANTA CLARA — After missing training camp as a rookie due to a bone bruise, 49ers cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. is reaping the rewards of getting to experience a full NFL offseason for the first time.
Fresh off a pivotal interception in San Francisco’s preseason tie with the Las Vegas Raiders, Luter revealed his confidence continues to elevate as a result of the consistent training-camp work he missed out on as a rookie.
“Most definitely, most definitely, since OTAs, everything has been going great,” Luter said after Monday’s practice. “Continuing to get better each and every week, especially in training camp. Training camp led to preseason and things just been going up the ladder. So [my] confidence level? Getting there, very high.”
The additional reps have allowed the young defensive back to further hone his skills, with Luter pointing to man-to-man coverage as the area of his game where he grew the most over the course of this season’s training camp.
“I will say, my man-to-man coverage, just been a lot more stickier at level one,” Luter said. “I ain’t going to say it was a big problem, but that’s just something that I harp on. Just trying to be a technician at the end of the day. [I’m] just trying to make sure I clean up the little things.”
The 49ers selected Luter with a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after the defensive back starred at the University of Southern Alabama. Luter earned a reputation as one of the most polished press-man cornerbacks in his draft class, but still faced a sizeable adjustment with his technique after making the jump to the NFL.
“I’ll say my alignment,” Luter said of the changes he has dealt with at the professional level. “That, and along with just knowing, [because] different receivers are going to give you different things. Just knowing their tendencies, how they are in the middle of a route, how they are at the breaking point, kind of anticipating those things and just being a lot more stickier now than versus college.”
Luter Jr. has an arm length of 32 3/8 inches that are paired with 10 3/8 inch hands, with the latter ranking in the 98th percentile of players at his position, per MockDraftable.
The 24-year-old defensive back explained how his 49ers teammates have encouraged him to utilize that length to his advantage, allowing him to further elevate his game as he enters his second NFL season.
“It’s a totally different level, but as you go throughout each day of practice, and even games, you just continue to get better,” Luter said. “You learn your opponent. Like man, Deebo [Samuel], even some of the other receivers make me better each and every day. I learn from them. They give me nuggets on things I can do better. Been a lot more useful with my hands and my length. That’s a big advantage for me, even the coaches tell me that, the players tell me that, so that’s one thing I try to do each and every day, make sure that I use my length to my advantage.”
A year removed from not being able to participate in training-camp practices, Luter was able to reflect and open up about how frustrating it was not being able to share the field with his teammates early in his NFL career. That disappointment didn’t deter Luter from focusing on the task at hand, however, as he prioritized maximizing his long-term future despite the early set back.
“At the time, it was kind of aggrevating,” Luter said. “You know, not being able to go out there with your teammates. You’re seeing them every day while you rehab and they’re getting to work and all that stuff. So, I mean it was aggrevating at first, but then it was just like, ‘Alright man, at this point let’s just get healthy. See where it takes me in the long run.’
Luter’s big-picture mindset paid off, as he figures to play a prominent role in the 49ers’ secondary moving forward. He now will do so with a continued confidence that grows with each passing day, and each passing down.
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