The San Francisco 49ers closed out their second day of the 2025 NFL Draft (and their final pick in the top 100) by adding a small, spiky piece to their revamped defense.
With the 100th pick in the draft, a compensatory selection, the Niners selected Western Kentucky defensive back Upton Stout, a 5-foot-8, 181-pound competitive ballhawk.
Not unlike San Francisco's previous pick, Oklahoma State linebacker Nick Martin, what Stout lacks in size, he makes up for in feistiness and athleticism. He plays and competes hard, and combines it with great speed, too: he ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
At first glance, this seems to be yet another pick with new 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh's fingerprints all over it, not unlike what went down in Rounds 1 and 2 with defenders Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins, respectively. Saleh has enjoyed success with supposedly undersized-but-competitive defensive backs before, developing former Niners in nickel cornerback K'Waun Williams and then D.J. Reed with the New York Jets.
That's likely Stout's immediate fit with the 49ers, as he lined up at the nickel spot during his three years starting for the Hilltoppers, although he does have some experience playing outside, too, early in his college career.
Upton Stout signals permanent role for Deommodore Lenoir
Stout fortifies a cornerback room that lost Charvarius Ward in the offseason, and the rookie presumes to compete for the nickel corner spot with the likes of Darrell Luter Jr.
If that is the case, it likely allows both of the other 49ers' starting defensive backs, Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green, to stay playing on the outside and boundary, which seems to be the best role for them. San Francisco's pass defense has often suffered in the last few years when Lenoir has had to move inside (such as after the spectacular failure of Isaiah Oliver to hold down the position), so if Stout can make the position his own, that would be welcomed.
Upton Stout is a 5-8, 181-pound cornerback from Western Kentucky who packs a punch. He had 52 tackles last season and projects to NCB with the 49ers. If he develops as expected, Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green could remain on the outside.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) April 26, 2025
Saleh particularly values the nickel spot, which is understandable given the wide receiver triumvates the 49ers face in the NFC West. He also has an opportunity to open things up, schematically, too; his usage of Williams as an occasional blitzer in 2019 often provided a joker card to play in particularly challenging situations.
If Stout can't, for some reason, make the nickel spot his own, he should at least be able to offer some useful work on special teams, given that he played on both the kick- and punt-coverage teams in his time with Western Kentucky.
However things end up shaking out, the Niners have added a fast, aggressive, adaptable athlete to their secondary to close out Day 2 of the NFL Draft, thereby allowing Lenoir to stay put where he fits best out on the boundary.
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