The New Orleans Saints signed free agent DT Kentavius Street last offseason in hopes of upgrading their interior pass rush. Just 2 of the Saints' 46 sacks came from their defensive tackles in 2021.
Street was a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers out of N.C. State. An injury shelved him for his entire rookie year and all but the last three games of 2019. He'd flash terrific potential as a situational player for the 49ers in 2021, recording three sacks, seven pressures, and six tackles for loss.
Here's a look back at Street's first season in a New Orleans uniform.
Kentavius Street
Saints Year-In-Review
After playing both the edge and inside with San Francisco, Street was predominantly a tackle for the Saints. He was an immediate part of the team’s interior rotation.
At 6'2" and 287-Lbs., Street showed the strength and leverage to be a factor inside. He also has a quick first step, giving him an advantage against larger blockers.
Over the first four games Street had eight tackles, a few key pressures, and 1 sack. He added another half sack before the mid-season point and had 13 total tackles midway through the year.
Street played even better down the last half of 2022. In the last six games, he was credited with six pressures and 2.5 sacks while gathering 16 total tackles in the last nine contests.
The 26-year-old Street finished with career-high marks in sacks (3.5), pressures (9), and total tackles (29). His 518 defensive snaps were also the most of his career, as he appeared in 46% of the Saints' defensive snaps.
Street was part of a defensive tackle position that struggled throughout the year, especially against the run. The Saints defense ranked a lowly 24th against the run, allowing over 130 yards per game. It was their worst defensive performance on the ground since 2015.
Opponents pushed around the New Orleans tackles all season. The group played slightly better toward the end of the year, but was still their biggest defensive liability. New Orleans also got little consistency from their interior pass rush. The tackles combined for just 11.5 of the team’s 48 sacks, 24 of 87 QB hits, and 13 of 77 tackles for loss.
Street, along with fellow defensive tackles David Onyemata and Shy Tuttle, are unrestricted free agents this offseason. Clearly, the Saints need a major upgrade at the position. It's possible that one or two of these tackles are re-signed to fill out the depth chart. Street is probably the least expensive option of the team’s three pending free agents at a tackle spot that must provide more for the Saints in 2023.
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