San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch knows a thing or two about defensive backs, and one of the team’s rookies is making a strong impression on the forme All-Pro safety.
Lynch heaped praise on Upton Stout, comparing the rookie cornerback to a former Hall-of-Fame teammate who starred in the secondary alongside him for the vaunted Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defenses of the early 2000s.
“This whole class has been good, but I’ll tell you, Upton Stout, you don’t have to have a real trained, you just come to practice,” Lynch said on KNBR’s “Murph & Markus” Thursday. “You always have to be careful making comparisons to Hall of Fame players, but I played with a nickel [in Tampa Bay in] Ronde Barber, and they wear the same number — the fiestiness, the competitor that Upton is, and that kind of drives his entire game. Now you have to have a skillset, and Upton certainly has that.”
Barber’s decorated resume includes five All-Pro selections and five Pro Bowl nods, racking up 47 career interceptions while earning a reputation as one of his generation’s premier cornerbacks.
Stout has stood out to Lynch for more than his ball-hawking abilities, as the 49ers general manager highlighted how the rookie’s persistent effort sets him up for immediate success.
“Upton came the other day and there was a toss play and Upton isn’t the biggest dude in the world and he had to set an edge, which was basically to say, ‘OK, this play is stopping here, it’s going to turn back,’ against [left tackle] Spencer Burford and he didn’t shy away one iota and he set the edge.
“That’s just what Upton is all about, he can cover really well and he’s relentless with his effort. Very reminiscent of Fred Warner-type effort and so that shows up. That plays in our league all day long. And so, he’s been really, really good.”
San Francisco selected Stout No. 100 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, with the rookie corner making an instant impression on his new employer with what Lynch called “the best draft call” he’d ever been a part of.
While Stout’s enthusiasm was evident from Day 1, his ability on the field was well worth the wait as the former Western Kentucky star has stolen the spotlight since the pads went on in 49ers training camp.
Stout even reached out to former San Francisco defensive back K’Waun Williams for guidance, taking every opportunity to improve as he adjusts to his first NFL season.
While Lynch might see a gold jacket in Stout’s future, a starting role come Week 1 would be more than impressive in its own right.
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