Upton Stout, Western Kentucky: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Stout was a three-star recruit from North Shore High School in Houston, Texas in the class of 2020

Upton Stout is one of the smallest defensive backs in the 2025 NFL Draft, but his football IQ and instinctive playmaking abilities have him lined up for a Day 3 selection. Stout will compete at the Senior Bowl in late January for a chance to raise his draft stock.

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Upton Stout, NB Western Kentucky: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth-year redshirt junior slot corner from Houston, Texas

Background: Stout was a three-star recruit from North Shore High School in Houston, Texas in the class of 2020. He was the No. 1,912 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,749 for On3.com. Stout was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked recruit for ESPN with no star rating or grade out of 100. He originally committed to Utah State before flipping to North Texas. Stout transferred from North Texas to Western Kentucky in 2022. He won Texas 6A-1 State Championships in 2018 and 2019. Stout was a First Team All-District selection as a junior.

Injuries & Off-Field: Only appeared in four games in 2021 after suffering an injury vs. Missouri, missed five games in 2023 with injury, missed 2024 New Mexico State game

Awards: 2022 Honorable Mention All-CUSA, 2022 Honorable Mention Freshman All-American (College Football Network), 2024 First Team All-CUSA

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, experience operating in the slot and out wide, pre-snap diagnosis, tracks motioning receivers in man coverage across the formation well, post-snap deciphering of route combos, feisty in press coverage, quick and stiff punch, surprisingly powerful jams for a player his size, plays physical and punches above his weight, smooth hips, rapid acceleration, quickly attaches himself to inside releases, stays attached on crossers, gains depth quickly in zone drops, drives to eliminate cushion on short routes, nice burst to close and contest at the catch point, times catch point contact well, aggression at the catch point, blitzing slot demon, sniffs out screens pre-snap, willing and eager run defender, comes flying into the backfield to disrupt run plays, quickly redirects to and pursues the ball, competes to get off blocks, motor runs hot in pursuit

Cons: Undersized, not very twitchy or sudden, level of athleticism doesn’t compensate for lack of size consistently, short strider, good but not great top speed, aggression in press leads to him getting tangled with receiver, bumped off coverage by physical receivers, footwork can get hoppy and allow separation, not a true lockdown corner, lacks bend in hips as a rusher, missed opportunities to finish QB sacks, struggles to stack and shed stalk blocks, easily displaced by blockers, limited tackle radius, slides and slips off tackles because he comes downhill and doesn’t slow down

Overview: Stout has experience playing out wide and in the slot during his college career. He even took a few snaps as a Cover 2 safety. Stout is unofficially listed at 5'9", 182 lbs., but verified measurements suggest he’s closer to 5'8", 189 lbs. His arm length falls short of the league’s preferred thresholds. Stout excels pre-snap with his ability to diagnose routes and how quickly he adjusts and tracks receivers across the formation in motion. He sorts through route combinations quickly post-snap to remain with his assignment. The Texas native battles with the receiver for every inch in press coverage. He’s a feisty defender who punches above his weight with quick, powerful jams. Sometimes this results in him getting tangled with the receiver, which will result in penalties at the next level. Stout’s smooth hips and rapid acceleration help him mirror and carry receivers out of press-man. He quickly gets in phase to undercut inside releases and maintains his positioning on crossers. Stout abandons his man or primary zone assignment to break on another route when he reads the quarterback’s body language and sees a receiver breaking into space. He lacks twitch and isn’t a true lockdown cornerback in man coverage. The fifth-year prospect allows some space on slants and isn’t always attached to the receiver coming out of the break. This happens because his footwork isn’t as free-flowing as it needs to be for him to execute sudden cuts. He's a short strider with good but not great speed that leaves him vulnerable against true speedsters. Stout gains good depth in zone before quickly triggering downhill to deter quarterbacks from accessing short routes. His closing burst and timing help him contest receptions at the catch point without fouling. Stout’s aggression on contested catches jars the ball loose and prevents receivers from completing the process. However, the former North Texas transfer isn’t always the aggressor. Larger possession receivers bump him around in coverage and forcibly create separation. Stout is an eager run defender with an elite motor to fit the run or pursue ball carriers downfield. He struggles to stack and shed stalk blocks but quickly redirects to the football when operating in open space. He needs to come to balance on tackle attempts and play with more control to avoid missed tackles. Stout recognizes and blows up screens. He also offers value blitzing from the slot.

Overall, Stout is an undersized nickel who thrives in man coverage because of his football IQ, instincts, physicality, and fluid frame. Stout’s size and lack of elite athleticism will make his road to playing significant defensive snaps difficult, but his motor and playmaking make him a candidate to overachieve relative to his draft positioning.

Role & Scheme Fit: Nickel in a Cover 1 heavy scheme

Round Grade: Fifth Round

Size: 5'9", 182 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 11-08-24

Updated: 12-12-24