Since the departure of K'Waun Williams following the 2021 season, the San Francisco 49ers haven't really had a full-time nickel cornerback on the roster, instead going with more of the "by committee" approach.
Deommodore Lenoir has certainly spent plenty of time there over the last few years, but with Charvarius Ward now out of the picture, Lenoir is seemingly set to take over on a full-time basis on the perimeter opposite second-year pro Renardo Green.
The Niners added some experience in the offseason, signing seven-year veteran Siran Neal, but head coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator are hoping they've found a long-term solution in the slot in rookie Upton Stout, whom the Niners took in the third round of this past April's draft with the 100th overall pick.
And while there hasn't yet been a ton of hoopla surrounding the nickel corner position in the early days of training camp, it appears the Western Kentucky alum may have already taken the advantage in the race for a spot in the starting lineup, as he's taken the vast majority of the snaps with coordinator Robert Saleh's first-team defensive unit, a trend that began late in mandatory minicamp last month.
On the first day of minicamp, Stout took snaps with the backup unit but then got his chance with the first string on the second and final day and shined.
During the final play of practice that afternoon, the 23-year-old produced an incredible pass breakup on a deep ball thrown in the direction of fellow rookie Isaiah Neyor, who stands 6-foot-4.
Stout, of course, is just 5-foot-8.
As one would imagine, his smaller stature was one of the reasons the Niners were criticized for drafting him earlier than when most thought he'd go off the board. But Saleh, who undoubtedly had a significant say in the process, clearly sees something in Stout, as does defensive backs/cornerbacks coach Ray Brown.
Before joining the Niners, Brown served in the same role at Boston College, who just happened to host Western Kentucky last September. And he couldn't help but see the impact Stout was making.
"He was a guy I noticed from the sideline, and I rarely ever watch when our offense is on the field because I’m busy trying to figure out what our guys are doing and how we can tweak some things for ourselves. But I noticed Upton," Brown told NBC Sports ahead of minicamp.
And not only did Brown see Upton, but he also heard him leading the Hilltoppers' defense with his voice.
"I heard him quite a few times," Brown continued. "I actually looked up a couple times, and I noticed him. Oh, yeah, you can hear him. You could hear him in communication. He knew exactly what those guys were doing, where people were supposed to be."
It'll be interesting to see what happens when the pads get put on, but Stout has seemingly already given himself an advantage and could very well find himself in the starting lineup come Week 1 when the 49ers visit the Seattle Seahawks.