Of the entire class of San Francisco 49ers rookies in 2025, defensive tackle C.J. West and cornerback Upton Stout appear to be running away with the moniker of "best of class" so far.
West has regularly dominated his reps during training camp, while Stout is leapfrogging the multitude of other options who were considered to start at nickel once the regular season commences.
Stout, the Niners' third-round pick out of Western Kentucky, not only earned praise from head coach Kyle Shanahan but also received a shoutout from a former 49er defensive back and future Hall of Famer, Richard Sherman, who recently attended a camp practice.
Yet Stout hasn't been picking Uncle Sherm's brain about playing defense, which might make sense since the former is envisioned as a slot corner and Sherman was almost exclusively on the boundary.
Instead, the rookie reached out to another former Niners defensive back who made his presence known in the Bay Area from 2017 through 2021, K'Waun Williams.
K'Waun Williams playing a vital role in mentoring 49ers' newest rookie
Williams was one of San Francisco's first free-agent pickups when Shanahan and general manager John Lynch took over their duties in 2017, and one could argue the 49ers haven't had a true nickel cornerback since Williams' free-agent departure in 2022. During that span, Williams appeared in 65 regular-season games where he logged 224 tackles, 17 pass breakups, four interceptions and even five sacks.
Both Williams and Stout have a similar build, the former at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, while the rookie is the same height and just four pounds lighter. And both players had the knack for proverbially "punching above their class," not being inhibited by their smallish stature.
So, why wouldn't Stout reach out to Williams to gain some trusted advice, right?
Well, the rookie did just that, as defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks told NBC Sports Bay Area recently.
"The thing that stood out the most was he reached out to K’Waun Williams on his own on social media," Bullocks said. "And K’Waun got back to him and they connected. K’Waun sent him clips and all that, so that's very exciting for a young guy. It says a lot about who he is as a player and a person."
Stout later confirmed he reached out to the now-retired defender, too.
"Reaching out to him just so I can pick his brain to see how he played a lot of concepts, technique, and things like that," Stout described. "Really just trying to figure out how to be the best me, but also knowing what the standard was before I came and see if I can surpass that standard."
Indeed, Williams was one of the better slot-coverage options the Niners have enjoyed in recent memory, and the hope is Stout with either match or exceed his predecessor.
Especially if the former San Francisco defender offers up tips and advice along the way.