The San Francisco 49ers believe Upton Stout is about to take a significant step forward in Year 2, based on what his position coaches have seen so far in training camp this summer.
Stout, San Francisco’s third-round pick (No. 100 overall) in the 2025 NFL Draft, has already won over defensive backs coach Ray Brown and defensive passing game coordinator Jerry Gray heading into his sophomore season. Both assistants spoke glowingly about the young nickel corner’s work ethic and film habits during training camp.
“He definitely has the personality and the passion behind it,” Brown said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “Stout is great. Stout is a hungry guy that says he wants to prove something, but really he is just proving it to himself over and over.”
Brown added that Stout “wants to devour tape” and called him a “junkie” for film study, joking that Stout will text him at midnight expecting a reply.
As a rookie, Stout carved out an immediate role in San Francisco’s secondary, appearing in 16 games with four starts. Working out of the nickel, Stout piled up 82 tackles (43 solo), four tackles for loss, a sack, two quarterback hits and five passes defensed.
Gray, who coached alongside now-defensive coordinator Raheem Morris when they were both with the Atlanta Falcons, has pointed Stout toward the Falcons’ past “star” defenders, who combined for five sacks and five interceptions in 2025, as a benchmark for what the position can produce.
“He’s like, ‘Ok, I want to do that,'” Gray said. “‘I also want to do what I need to do here in San Francisco.’ You can see him doing what he’s supposed to do and he’s getting better and better. He studies. I’ve watched him in here, when no one is in here. I come in here, there’s Stout.”
Stout has backed up the praise in camp, breaking up several passes and reeling in a pick-six in recent practices.
“I feel like it’s a good scheme,” Stout said. “It allows the DBs to play fast, not think too much and use our best capabilities on the field.”
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Young 49ers DB could be in for big leap thanks to ‘junkie’ film habits
Reporting by Oliver G., Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Niners Wire | USA TODAY Network
