Why the 49ers view this player as their next potential star

It's probably not who you think.

David Gonzales-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers are leaning heavily on a youth movement this season, and one of the rookies they hope to take over a starting role is third-round pick Upton Stout. Stout has been banged up over the last few weeks, but Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic has been talking with people close to the team, and they see him as a future star. 

Will Upton Stout become a star in the NFL?

Buzz about Stout coming out of 49ers camp grew steadily all summer. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound nickel cornerback may be starting in his rookie season and brought a necessary energy to practices in early August. From an NFC executive: “Quick. Athletic. Instinctive in coverage and aggressive in run support. Plays bigger than his size suggests due to wiry strength and consistent toughness. Above all, he’s a fierce competitor.”

Jourdan Rodrigue

One of the least interesting training camp competitions of the summer was how the cornerback room would shake out. Because Stout was a third-round pick from a small school, there was an expectation that he would start with the backups and have to earn his way into the starting lineup. 

However, every indication from the summer was that Stout was starting in the slot from day one. It appeared as though he was the unanimous starter before the first preseason game. An injury derailed his timeline, and he missed the final preseason games, but there was never any buzz about the injury causing him to lose his starting role. 

D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Some of that is because the team simply does not have enough depth. They have Chase Lucas as a backup in the slot, and while he has had a great summer, he was on his way to being a career practice squad player through three seasons. They signed Tre Brown to compete, but he had a rough summer and is now on the IR. 

If Stout did not start, it is hard to think about who would be the person to unseat him. Still, as the quote says, Stout also has a lot of potential. He started his career as an outside cornerback, so he has good man skills, but his best traits are tackling and being physical in the run game, which makes him a perfect slot for today's league. 

This is not just about him starting, but more about the potential for him to become a star player. That starts with entering the lineup in week one as a rookie, but now he has to live up to the hype. 

The only other choice for this would be Marquese Sigle. Sigle is a fifth-round pick and is entering the lineup as well. Still, he has been much more of a late riser, and there may be higher expectations for Stout entering the season. Time will tell if he can meet the star expectations.