FanPost

Kentavius Street: DE, NC State

Do the Vikes take a flier on him with a 6th or 7th rounder?

Street is an incredible athlete who would have probably been selected between the 2nd and 4th rounds in this year’s draft, had he not torn his ACL at a team workout.

Street’s injury is a shame…especially after having a fantastic showing at the East-West Shrine Game...where he got to play without being in the shadow of Bradley Chubb. His power, speed, and agility were never in question. He’ squatted 700 lbs, cleaned 400 lbs, and benched 475 lbs. He ran the 40 in ~4.6 seconds, broad jumped 9’ 11", etc. He’s quick off the ball; he’s got a relentless motor; he uses his hands well; and the list goes on.

Some scouts quibbled about his lack of height (6’2") for an NFL defensive end. While others knocked him for not being polished as a pass rusher. Well…for the Vikings, Street could move to the 3-technique. At 283...with tons of strength and a quick first step…he should be just fine…especially with a year to recover and learn from Andre Patterson. Street's defensive line coach at NC State (Dantonio Burnette) had nothing but praise for Street, and said that he was really taking a huge step forward as a player in his final year there. Also, Burnette, who coached Aaron Donald at Pitt, said that he felt Street was a more explosive player than Donald.

So…those 6th and 7th rounders that Spielman collects. Could one turn into a draft-and-stash gamble on Kentavius Street?

I think it could--and maybe should--happen. Spielman and Company like to draft multiple players from a single college, and there are a number of NC State guys that would be great fits for the Vikes (e.g. Nyheim Hines, Jaylen Samuels, and Tony Adams). They are not afraid of drafting players with injury concerns. They love freak athletes. And they have the roster depth to put him on hold for a year. There is talent available late in the draft...but sometimes it takes a gamble.

This FanPost was created by a registered user of The Daily Norseman, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the site. However, since this is a community, that view is no less important.