Falcons trade for Eagles DL Kentavius Street

The Atlanta Falcons were reportedly sniffing around defensive tackles in the wake of losing stalwart defender Grady Jarrett for the season, which made perfect sense given that it’s going to be difficult to replace Jarrett’s skill and production. The Falcons do have depth options, but it’s reasonable to say they’ll need more to weather that loss.

Enter Kentavius Street. The veteran defensive lineman signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in the offseason after spending 2022 with New Orleans, and now he’s re-united with Ryan Nielsen in Atlanta. Per the team, the Falcons are slipping a sixth rounder next year for Street and a 2025 seventh rounder, a small price to pay for a quality option.

It’s fair to say Nielsen thinks that’s exactly what he’s getting, having gotten a close-up look at Street with the Saints. In 2022, Street was a key reserve for New Orleans, one who managed a career-best 3.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits in 17 games. With the Eagles, he played sparingly and had four tackles, three pressures, and three stops, per Pro Football Focus, having moved around the line a bit as he did with New Orleans last year.

The Falcons are getting a player who can soak up snaps at multiple spots, giving them the versatility they’ll crave as they move Calais Campbell around, and a little bit of pass rushing punch with a player who is very familiar with Nielsen. He’ll join LaCale London and Ta’Quon Graham in rotating through this line, with David Onyemata and Campbell continuing to get starter’s snaps. It’s not an impact pickup for Atlanta, but it will help them put a solid defense on the field without Jarrett, which makes the trade very worthwhile considering the price.

Give Street a warm welcome to Atlanta, and we’ll see how much he plays for Atlanta on Sunday.