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earing the later part of the 2025 season, the San Francisco 49ers are still very much alive in the NFC playoff chase. Sitting at 7-4, the 49ers have found ways to win even though they have dealt with a rash of injuries on both sides of the ball this season, including to stars like Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Brock Purdy and George Kittle, among others. But the 49ers 2025 draft class has played a key role in keeping the 49ers afloat– especially third round pick, Upton Stout.
Stout, a cornerback out of Western Kentucky, has played very well to start off his career and has already become a starter for the 49ers. Through 10 games, missing one due to an injury, Stout has 51 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and despite not having an interception yet, he has still been very good in the passing game. And now that Stout has gotten his feet wet in the NFL, he was asked who the hardest wide receiver he has gone up against was, and the answer is a fellow NFC west foe.
Stout Deems Cooper Kupp as The Toughest Receiver He Has Defended
Joining NFL legend Richard Sherman on ‘The Richard Sherman Podcast’ on Wednesday, Nov. 19, Stout shared his answer with the former cornerback, saying just how tough Kupp is to play against.
“The toughest receiver? I’d probably say … probably my first game [against Seattle Seahawks veteran] Cooper Kupp,” Stout said. “Just because of the amount of positions he was put in. You know, I had missed the preseason for an injury. So this was really like my first time in real game action. … We were calling man … Just how savvy he was trying to run his routes and things like that.”
Stout missed the preseason because of a calf injury but since making his debut in week one, he has continued to get better. Only 5-foot-9 and weighing 180 pounds, Stout may be on the smaller side, but he plays much bigger than his size and shows that each and every time he steps out onto the field.
Stout’s Long Term Role with the 49ers
In addition to Stout, the 49ers cornerback room consists of Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green but aside from those three, the team is relatively thin at the position. So if the 49ers want to build long term stability at cornerback, Stout is pivotal. Primarily a slot corner, Stout provides the 49ers with a good mix of players at the position, with Lenoir and Green lining up on the outside and bringing a little bit more size. Over the next few seasons, with Stout, Green and Lenoir being young, Stout will look to develop even more and help the 49ers create the best cornerback trio in the NFL.
But with the 49ers still very much alive in the playoff picture, but still decimated with injuries, Stout’s role is pivotal now. His tackling is proving most effective and with Warner out for the season with an ankle injury and his production lost, Stout will need to step it up a notch.
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