The San Francisco 49ers have a handful of players who seem like they’re on the verge of stardom, and 2nd-year slot cornerback Upton Stout is starting to look like 1 of the leaders of the pack.
NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks recognized as much by placing Stout, a 2025 3rd-round pick, on his All-Breakout Team for 2026.
“Old-school players will tell you the nickel position is reserved for defenders with a supreme combination of instincts and athleticism that enables them to create big plays in various ways,” Brooks wrote. “Stout certainly fit the bill as a rookie in 2025. Whether swatting passes away, punching the ball out or blitzing off the edge, Stout flashed star qualities manning the slot. He finished third on the 49ers with 82 tackles, excelling as a “see ball, get ball” playmaker. He could further develop into a true difference-maker for a San Francisco squad with championship aspirations.”
Media Pundits Singling Out Upton Stout
ESPN’s Ben Solak put Stout on his list of the NFL’s top “breakout candidates” following a surprisingly good rookie year.
“The 49ers’ defense was young, raw and outmatched for much of last season, so it can be tough to find the diamond in the rough,” Solak wrote on July 8. “But that diamond is Stout, a third-rounder who started in the slot — a taxing position to master mentally — and kept his head above water. Stout got burned plenty as a risk taker, but he didn’t make the same mistakes over and over again. He’ll never dominate with pass breakups given his 5-foot-9, 181-pound size, but he has stopping power as a tackler and creates opportunities for his teammates to finish off run plays by penetrating and disrupting. He’ll stick around in the league for a long, long time as he fully gets up to the mental speed of the game.”
One testament to how well Stout played last season is that the 49ers didn’t make a move in free agency or the draft to try and find a better option. If Stout continues to level up, he’s also incredible value on a 4-year, $6.16 million rookie contract.
Upton Stout Performed Well at Scouting Combine
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Stout actually checked in at 5-foot-8 — not 5-9 like he was listed at North Texas and Western Kentucky — but running the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds calmed most concerns about his size.
It certainly didn’t scare off the 49ers. Stout went into the NFL Draft projected as a 6th- or 7th-round pick, but the 49ers didn’t want to wait that long in case someone had seen what they did.
“An undersized cornerback who spent much of his time playing wide corner, Stout has the twitch and athleticism to project inside,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “What he lacks in length he makes up for with his competitiveness. He’s a natural pattern reader with the hips and feet to match breaks without giving up much separation. There are times he fails to trust his cover talent, holding and grabbing without cause. He’s fairly instinctive and has the short-area burst to squeeze throwing windows. Stout’s physical profile could hurt his draft standing, but the determination and athleticism will be hard to ignore.”
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