The San Francisco 49ers have plenty of names worth watching as the 2026 NFL season approaches, but ESPN’s Ben Solak pointed to a smaller defender who could make a much bigger noise.
Solak picked 2025 third-round defensive back Upton Stout as the 49ers’ breakout candidate for 2026, even though Stout stands just 5-foot-9. The analyst made clear that the rookie season came with some rough edges, but also enough growth to suggest there’s more coming.
"Stout got burned plenty as a risk taker, but he didn't make the same mistakes over and over again," Solak writes. "He'll never dominate with pass breakups given his 5-foot-9, 181-pound size, but he has stopping power as a tackler and creates opportunities for his teammates to finish off run plays by penetrating and disrupting."
Stout spent his first NFL season starting in the slot and played in 16 games. He finished with five passes defended, one forced fumble, one sack, 82 tackles, four tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits.
In coverage, the numbers were solid without being flashy. On 69 targets, he allowed 48 completions for 531 yards and no touchdowns, which produced a 92.1 passer rating allowed in his rookie year.
That’s not an eye-popping figure, but it also doesn’t read like a player who was overwhelmed. Stout was quietly useful for San Francisco last season, and there’s a case that his best football is still ahead of him.
Solak said Stout can, "... stick around in the league for a long, long time as he fully gets up to the mental speed of the game."
At 24, Stout is still early in his career, and his rookie year gave the 49ers enough to think bigger about what he could become in 2026.
Health will matter for him and for the defense around him. If Fred Warner, Mykel Williams, and Nick Bosa are all back, Stout should have a much easier time doing his job.
There are bigger names and louder headlines on this roster, but Solak chose Stout as the breakout pick. And for a 5-foot-9 defensive back, he may have the clearest path to the biggest leap of any 49ers player this season.
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