Saints hope to keep high-end rotational play out of Kentavius Street

But the ceiling is even higher for the former 49er.

While we anxiously await the start of the 2022 New Orleans Saints season, it feels like a good time to start previewing the new additions to the 2022 squad. What better source of insight for a player than the fans that covered that player’s former team?

We’ll start this series by looking at one of the newest Saints defensive linemen, Kentavius Street, formerly of the San Franscisco 49ers. Jordan Elliott of Niners Nation was kind enough to answer five quick questions to get a feel for what Street might bring to the Saints.

Kentavius Street played in 17 games for the 49ers with only two starts. How did he play?

Street was a solid player in a rotational role on a very deep defensive line unit. Street recorded a sack in each of the two starts he did make, which were the only two games that he logged 15 or more pass rushing snaps in. Street finished the season with 18 pressures on 222 pass rushing snaps, and had five games that saw him log multiple pressures. Overall, it was solid production given his usage and role as a depth piece.

Is Street more of an interior pass rusher or run-stopper?

I would say he is much stronger as an interior pass rusher as a three technique. He’s not a liability against the run, but he certainly flashed more as a pass rusher over the course of his time in San Francisco.

If you had Street on your roster, what is the best way to utilize his talents in the NFL?

I would utilize him as a rotational interior defensive lineman, with the occasional usage as a five technique on the edge against heavier offensive sets designed to run the football. While I think he is much better on the interior, his ability to kick outside certainly carries value as well.

What is his ceiling for the Saints in 2022? His floor?

His ceiling is around 5-7 sacks, while being a player that’s regularly making plays in the backfield on rushing attempts. His floor is a guy who is going to generate around a pressure per game, while offering the versatility to move him around the defensive line.

What is your prediction for how he plays, if at all, for the 2022 New Orleans Saints?

I think he can be an important piece of the rotation on that Saints defensive line. Having players like Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport certainly should make life easier on Street while he battles on the interior between those two very talented edge rushers. Street is a guy who at minimum offers value as a rotational piece at the NFL level, and I imagine Dennis Allen and that staff in New Orleans will find a way to maximize the value that Street provides.

If Street can help provide pressure in the interior to force opposing offensive lines to put either Cam Jordan or Marcus Davenport in one-on-one rushing situations, count this is a giant win for the Saints. Put another way: What Street could potentially provide the Saints isn’t necessarily about Street’s own numbers, but hopefully about the numbers he can help the Saints’ talented edge rushers put up in 2022.