Scouting report on 49ers DL Kentavius Street

San Francisco’s defensive line has several burgeoning stars - from the likes of DeForest Buckner to Solomon Thomas. Now, though, recent 4th round draft pick Kentavius Street hopes to make a mark on the defensive side of the ball.

Street, out of NC State, stands at 6’2” and weighs in at around 280 pounds. Street’s ability to make plays on the inside or outside served him well during his time in Raleigh. He was a full-time starter on the Wolfpack’s front four in 2017; he started all 13 games and compiled 38 tackles, 6.5 for loss, and 3.5 sacks. Street started every game as a junior, too, making 30 stops, nine behind the line with 5.5 sacks on the year. He also lined up at tackle as a sophomore (moving from end during spring practice), starting 10 of 13 games played, posting 31 tackles, three for loss.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Measurements

Heights - 6’2”
Weight - 280 lbs.
Arms - 32 7/8”
40 Yard Dash: 4.78 seconds
Bench Reps: 28

Strengths

• Powerhouse with compact frame and a 700 pound squat to his name
• Shows some fight at the point of attack against tackles despite his lack of length
• Heavy hitter when tackling; runs through the ball carrier
• Straight-line pursuit speed appears to be faster than expected on tape
• Won’t go to it often, but has access to an explosive spin move that can win as inside counter when he times it right
• Uses low center of gravity and powerful rip move to play through a blocker’s edge once he gets the door open

Weaknesses

• Lacks desired length and can be locked out and handled by athletic tackles
• Allows blockers into his frame first
• Lack of length prevents him from clean disengage
• Will win the battle of the punch at point of attack, but lose sight of the ball
• Lateral movement and change of direction is labored and a little slow
• Tight-hipped, straight-line pass rusher

Right away it’s easy to like Kentavius Street’s level of strength and toughness on the interior and exterior - attributes that will post certainly serve him well at the next level. There are downsides, though, as outlined by Lance Zierlein at NFL.com:

“…his lack of reactive quickness and lack of desired length is a concern against NFL tackles. Street doesn’t appear to be a plus NFL pass rusher but his power is intriguing. A team might be interested in asking him to add more weight in an attempt to bump him inside. After tearing his ACL at his pro day, Street will likely see a drop in his draft positioning.”

Ah yes, that whole ACL thing. The drafting of Street had many fans shaking their heads as it brought back certain memories of some recent 49er brass - who shall remain nameless simply for the sake of my own self trying to move on by wiping my memory of him - who was enamored by college prospects coming off serious ACL injuries (for whatever reason).

Like any other rookie, there is a lot of room to grow for Street as a player - the question is whether or not this is the right environment for him to figure it out. As previously stated, there is obviously talent to be found here - from his strength to his toughness to having a low center of gravity. It’s his weaknesses, though, that had some people hesitant towards using a valuable 4th rounder on him, especially when he’s coming off such a serious injury.

Robert Saleh seems to be putting together something special on defense with all the young up-and-coming players being able to continue to grow and Kentavius Street stands a good chance at becoming a vital part of the line in the coming years.