Upton Stout S Western Kentucky | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Upton Stout S Western Kentucky
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| ROLE: Man-Zone Free Safety | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 01/20/2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.52 seconds (67%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ROLE: Man-Zone Free Safety | |
| Last Updated: 01/20/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 4.52 seconds (67%*) | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 82.4 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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73% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 77.7 | |
| Tackling: |
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75% |
| Run Defense: |
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85% |
| Coverage: |
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75% |
| Zone: |
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71% |
| Man/Press: |
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69% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
6th
Overall Rank:
#181
Position rank:
#33
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| College Games: 43 College Snaps: 2107 | ||
ESPN RATING: 72/100
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247 RATING: 83/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.4 (89%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Malik Mustapha - Wake Forest |
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82% |
| Jartavius Martin - Illinois |
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70% |
| Evan Williams - Oregon |
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69% |
Draft Profile: Bio
A three-star prospect out of Houston's North Shore High School, Upton Stout's college career has been marked by both flashes of playmaking ability and persistent durability concerns. After a solid freshman campaign at North Texas where he logged 35 tackles in eight appearances, Stout transferred to Western Kentucky seeking a larger role in a more prominent conference.His time with the Hilltoppers showed the two sides of his game that NFL teams will need to weigh carefully. The playmaking ability jumped off the film immediately - highlighted by a pick-six in his very first game against Austin Peay and four total interceptions in 2022. However, the injury bug that would become a recurring theme struck in 2023, forcing him to miss five games and raising questions about his ability to hold up physically at the next level.
His 2024 campaign brought both validation and lingering concerns. While earning First Team All-Conference USA honors and posting impressive numbers (52 tackles, 8 TFLs), his frame remained a constant talking point among scouts. The Senior Bowl invitation offers a crucial opportunity to prove he can match up with NFL-caliber receivers despite his size limitations.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Quick processor who excels at recognizing route combinations and jumping underneath patterns, particularly effective against quick game concepts
- Brings surprising pop as a tackler for his size, showing proper technique and willingness to deliver contact in run support
- Natural feel for zone coverage with solid awareness of how routes develop through his area of responsibility
- Demonstrates valuable versatility between slot and outside alignments, though projects primarily as a nickel at next level
- Consistently competitive at the catch point despite size limitations, timing his challenges well to disrupt receivers
- Shows good straight-line speed to carry vertical routes and recover when beaten initially
- Effective blitzer from the slot who times his rushes well and shows ability to affect quarterback's rhythm
- Core special teams contributor who brings same intensity to coverage units as defensive snaps
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Severely undersized at 5'9" 182 pounds, falling in bottom 5th percentile for both height and weight among NFL defensive backs
- Concerning injury history with multiple missed games over college career raises durability red flags
- Struggles to disengage from blocks once bigger receivers latch on, frequently taken out of plays entirely
- Limited length shows up repeatedly in contested situations against taller receivers, particularly in red zone
- Change of direction ability is just average, allowing shifty slot receivers to create separation out of breaks
Scouting Report: Summary
Stout will fit in as a developmental nickel corner whose immediate impact may come primarily on special teams while he adjusts to the size and speed of NFL receivers. His intelligence and competitive nature give him a chance to develop into a contributing role player, but his physical limitations create a relatively clear ceiling on his potential.Teams will need to weigh his impressive production against the level of competition he faced and determine if his instincts can truly compensate for his lack of ideal measurables. While his versatility between slot and outside positions is intriguing, his size likely restricts him to primarily nickel duties at the next level with occasional outside reps in zone-heavy schemes.
His most likely path to NFL success involves landing with a defense that heavily employs zone coverage and can utilize his quick processing and tackling ability while minimizing his exposure in man coverage against bigger receivers. Special teams value will be crucial to securing and maintaining a roster spot while developing his defensive role.
Upton Stout percentiles vs other Safetys (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Upton Stout (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
171.7
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
44.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.