Dennis Allen has put Kentavius Street in a different category than most Bears fans probably expected.
While much of the attention in Chicago’s defensive tackle room has gone to Jordan van den Berg, James Lynch and Jayden Loving after strong training camp and preseason showings, Street has quietly pushed his way into the conversation. He arrived as a low-profile offseason addition, the kind of depth piece most people assumed would sit behind Grevon Dexter Sr. and Grady Jarrett.
Dexter’s trade to the Atlanta Falcons changed that picture. Suddenly, there was room for Street to do more than fill space, and Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen didn’t exactly hide how well he thinks Street has handled the opportunity.
Speaking to the media, Allen said Street has been a standout throughout camp.
"Quite honestly, I think he was the most productive tackle we had throughout the course of training camp," Allen said via The Athletic's Dan Wiederer. "He's got the suddenness and the explosiveness off the ball that we're looking for to create penetration and disrupt the line of scrimmage. He's really taken to the things that Jeremy (Garrett), Bill (Johnson), Zach (Cable), all those guys are coaching and how we want to play that position."
That kind of praise goes a long way, especially for a player who has spent most of his career out of the spotlight. Street has 125 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 17 quarterback hits, 10.5 sacks, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 85 career games. He’s made 10 starts across stints with the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles.
Last season with Atlanta, he put up 21 tackles, three tackles for loss, two quarterback hits and two sacks. Pro Football Focus graded him at 53.3 overall, which ranked 83rd out of 134 interior defensive linemen. His pass-rush grade came in at 56.3, and his run-defense grade was 49.8.
What happens next will be the real test. Van den Berg is expected to move into the starting lineup with Dexter gone, and Jarrett should remain a starter as well. That leaves Street in the mix for rotational work alongside Neville Gallimore, Loving and Lynch, with Gallimore seemingly in position to get more snaps after landing the biggest contract among that group of free-agent defensive tackles.
For now, Street is still the name that slipped under the radar. But if Allen’s evaluation holds up, he may be looking at a much bigger role in Chicago’s defense than anyone outside the building saw coming.
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