Second-year defensive tackle Kentavius Street, the San Francisco 49ers' fourth-round pick from the 2018 NFL Draft, appears to be coming along nicely from the ACL tear he suffered during his pro day a year ago.
Street, who never saw a snap his rookie season and was placed on the non-football injury (NFI) list at the start of the regular season, posted a video of himself performing in-water workouts in preparation for what will likely wind up being his on-field debut later this year:
Stay Ready so you don't have to get ready 🤫. pic.twitter.com/0IgibwRjKy
— Kentavius Street (@SupaStreet35) April 6, 2019
It was a fairly common thought among fans and pundits the Niners reached when they took Street after his pro day injury, forcing recollections of former general manager Trent Baalke often grabbing then-injured players with the hopes of stashing them a year or so, then debuting those players in an attempt to maximize the draft value. And while those failures could still end up being replicated with Street, it is hard to avoid acknowledging just how strong Street is.
He did, after all, post an impressive 28 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press during the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine.
Street posted eight sacks and 19 tackles for a loss over four seasons at NC State. And while he's not a pure pass-rushing specialist along the interior, his disruptive abilities on the inside are there.
San Francisco already has a deep crop of players on its defensive line heading into 2019 offseason programs. And it could get deeper if the 49ers end up choosing yet another defensive lineman early in this year's draft. That said, Street will have an excellent shot at competing for a key depth spot on the roster, where he can put that strength to good use.
And, at least by his own account, he'll be 100 percent ready for the start of training camp.
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Written by:Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
