The San Francisco 49ers had plenty of mixed reviews from their 2025 NFL Draft class, but one of the few no-question hits was nickel cornerback Upton Stout, who received rave reviews right out of the gate and mostly impressed over the course of his rookie season.
But, as is often the case with many a second-year pro, a regression could ultimately be in order for Stout.
And the Niners have to guard against it.
True, San Francisco will give Stout every chance to build upon his solid first-year campaign in year two, and there are no reasons to believe he's on any slippery footing with training camp just a few weeks away.
However, the 49ers' free-agent pickup of former Miami Dolphins nickel back Jack Jones last April at least provides an insurance plan, should Stout truly regress or suffer some sort of long-term injury.
It's an awfully cheap insurance policy, too.
Jack Jones is a notably cheap safety net against Upton Stout regression
Jones' signing largely went under the radar earlier in spring, thanks largely to the Niners' big-ticket acquisitions of wide receiver Mike Evans and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa. Even former Green Bay Packers corner Nate Hobbs arguably carried more weight.
But Jones, 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, might have a clearer role—backing up Stout, not unlike how San Francisco used Chase Lucas a year ago.
Granted, Jones' one-year deal carries zero in guaranteed money, meaning he's no safe bet to make the 53-man roster at all. Yet the 49ers onboarded a 28-year-old veteran with 59 games under his belt, 38 of them starts, and Jones was a clear-cut starter with both Miami and the Las Vegas Raiders over the last two years.
Over the Cap even valued Jones' 2025 campaign at $13.375 million, meaning the veteran-minimum $1.075 million at which the Niners signed him is an absolute bargain.
Stout's trajectory remains on the up and up, yes. But it appears as if San Francisco is poised for a contingency plan with Jones, should the second-year pro hit a proverbial wall in year two.
And it won't cost the 49ers much of anything to have such a plan.
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