Would Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers offense make a selection on Day 2 of the draft? It had been all defensive picks to start. The answer would turn out to be no.
With the 100th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the 49ers selected Western Kentucky defensive back Upton Stout, who was in Santa Clara on a visit recently.
This is the first time since 2000 that the 49ers used their first four picks on defense. That season, they drafted Julian Peterson, Ahmed Plummer, John Engelberger, and Jason Webster.
In my first mock draft, I selected Stout in the 4th round:
Stout is small in stature. He’s listed at 5’8, 178 pounds. Watching the Jets safeties under Robert Saleh, they were undersized cornerbacks moonlighting as safeties. They were better in pass coverage and could be used as extra slot defenders. Stout has the type of aggression and twitch to give the 49ers versatility in the secondary.
He lined up primarily in the slot at Western Kentucky but would occasionally rotate deep at safety or line up wide at cornerback. Whether he turns into a special teams demon or a quality role player, Stout has similar qualities on the field that drew the Niners to an undersized Deommodore Lenoir on Day 3 of the draft. We’re getting value here with Stout due to his size.
Physical Profile:
- Height: 5’9”
- Weight: 177 pounds
- 40-yard dash: 4.47 seconds
- 10-yard split: 1.51 seconds
- Vertical jump: 35.5 inches
- Broad jump: 10’1”
- Bench press: 16 reps at 225 pounds
- Arm length: 30 1/4 inches
- Hand size: 8 7/8 inches
Stout’s broad jump is in the 85th percentile, and his bench press is in the 89th percentile. Versatility and physicality are traits each of the prospects the 49ers drafted have in common. Stout’s best traits are his play speed, instincts, transition, and closing speed.
He spent 53 percent of his snaps in the slot last season. In 2023, it was only 31 percent. Stout has bounced back and forth between nickel and safety during his 5-year career. As you might expect, he’s a capable blitzer. He actually led all cornerbacks this draft cycle in yards per coverage snap in both man and zone. He had a pressure rate of 16 percent on 37 pass rushes. At Western Kentucky, Stout was used consistently as a blitzer. There will be no guessing games for Robert Saleh.
