San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The 49ers won't have one of their top rookies tonight when they face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football.
Upton Stout has been ruled out with an ankle injury that he suffered on the final play of Thursday's practice, according to the 49ers. The final portion of practice is closed to the media, so it's unclear exactly how he got injured.
Through six games, Stout has played 60 percent of the 49ers' defensive snaps, recorded 25 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups and 1 quarterback hit. He has made an impact in a variety of ways.
But, Stout has been a bit of a liability in coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, he has given up 20 catches on 27 targets for 196 yards, plus he has committed four penalties. In addition, he's just 5'8", which means he would have been at a major disadvantage against Falcons No. 1 wide receiver Drake London, who's 6'4." London lines up in the slot 30 percent of the time, so you can bet the Falcons would test Stout if he were healthy enough to play.
In Stout's place, the 49ers most likely will play nickelback Chase Lucas, who was outstanding during the preseason. Lucas is 6'0", so he matches up better with London, who's the only major threat the Falcons have at wide receiver.
If Lucas plays well in this game, don't be surprised if the 49ers let him keep the job for a few weeks until Stout is truly 100 percent healthy. Because as much as Stout has flashed playmaking potential, he also has committed big mistakes in critical spots. And the 49ers need to beat the Falcons, considering they're playing at home and they're facing an inexperienced quarterback in Michael Penix Jr.
If Lucas struggles against London, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh could move Deommodore Lenoir or Renardo Green into the slot to shadow London. Lenoir played nickelback the past few seasons and excels at it, while Green played nickelback during training camp of his rookie season.
So far this season, the 49ers best cornerback has been Green. He's giving up a passer rating of 65.8 and he has broken up three passes. I would expect the Falcons to avoid him as much as possible. Which is why it might be smart to have him shadow London. That way, Atlanta can't avoid Green.
Stay tuned. The 49ers and Falcons kick off at 5:20 Pacific Time.