One 49ers Rookie Whose Stock is Rapidly Rising

Competition is the theme of training camp for the San Francisco 49ers.

With so many spots up for grabs, specifically on the defense, there is a chance for several rookies to become starters. 

It’s all about taking advantage of the opportunities placed in front of them at camp. One 49ers rookie has done an excellent job of that. 

It’s allowed his stock to rise rapidly, which will aid him in earning a starting role. That player is cornerback Upton Stout. 

Head coach Kyle Shanahan has been impressed with what he’s seen so far from him. And if a rookie can impress Shanahan, it’s only going to increase the likelihood of starting and receiving playing time. 

That is why the 49ers have been trotting him out with the first-team defense at the nickel position. 

“We were hoping he would be capable of that when we took him,” Shanahan said. “We knew that was a position that was open for us. He looked really good in OTAs and he has looked the same here in these first two weeks. Not crowning him yet, but so far he has been doing a hell of a job and hopefully he can keep getting better at it.”

Stout running with the starters in the nickel package signifies that Deommodore Lenoir will no longer operate there. 

He will anchor down as an outside cornerback, which is a risk. Lenoir is better on the inside than outside, but the 49ers think he’s on par at both. 

It’s also risky running Stout there because of how much is on his plate. He has to account for so much.

And as a rookie, he’s liable to get caught playing on thoughts rather than reacting. But so far, Stout has been answering the call and proving the 49ers why they drafted him. 

They had a vision for him to start as the slot corner, as Shanahan stated. But envisioning is one thing, executing is another, and Stout is executing the plan they have for him. 

If he can continue performing well, the 49ers might end up having one of the better cornerback trios in the game.