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Kentavius Street represents a somewhat unwanted throwback to a torment of the Baalke era: The mid-round draft pick who allegedly slipped in the draft due to an ACL injury. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 Draft after suffering an untimely ACL injury at his Pro Day, there was no expectation that Street would see the field as a rookie.
Entering his second season, however, the onus is on the former NC State player to make a significant early impact, as he fights for a place on a crowded defensive line. Just as he did in college, Street has impressed colleagues and coaches in the weight room. Now he will need to do the same out on the field.
Basic Info:
Age: 23
Experience: First season (after spending his actual rookie year on IR)
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 287lbs
Cap Status:
Street has a cap hit of $647,550 and a dead cap of $457,652.
What to expect in 2019:
Street is a monstrous physical presence who shone on a heralded NC State defensive line in college. Capable of playing across the defensive line, Street will be competing with the likes of Jullian Taylor, Arik Armstead and Solomon Thomas to flex between the EDGE on run downs and inside on passing downs. With his immense power and explosiveness, Street can to put serious pressure on the three players mentioned above, as well as potentially squeezing out less versatile veterans like Sheldon Day, D.J. Jones and Ronald Blair. Nevertheless, with a relative abundance of talent on the defensive line compared to previous seasons, Street will need to be consistently effective in each phase to have a shot at the 53 man roster.
Odds of making the roster:
His highly touted abilities and versatility make him an attractive player to keep on the roster, not least because another team would probably claim him if the 49ers attempted to stash Street on the practice squad. Street will likely find himself in a street fight (sorry) with the likes of Taylor, Day, Blair and Jones. With the 49ers’ moving even more heavily towards penetration at every spot on the defensive line (including nose tackle), there’s a good chance Day & Jones are fighting for one spot anyway, whilst Taylor will be hoping to make the most of the year head start he had on Street. Blair meanwhile, may find his abilities as a rotational EDGE rusher will sufficiently separate him from the rest of this group who are more likely to be interior pass rushers. I think the former NC State man has a good shot at making the 53 however.