Newest Eagle Kentavius Street relishing the chance to learn from Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham

The defensive tackle, who turns 27 in May, signed with the Eagles last week after playing in all 17 games and registering 3 1/2 sacks last season with the New Orleans Saints.

Kentavius Street joins an Eagles defensive tackle group that lost three players in the offseason led by Javon Hargrave.Read moreDarryl Webb / AP

by Josh Tolentino

Published Apr. 3, 2023, 4:53 p.m. ET

Eagles defensive tackle Kentavius Street has always held an admiration for his new team. He counts retired franchise icons Trent Cole and Brian Dawkins as role models, and Street said he has watched veterans Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham since he was “a puppy.”

Street, who is entering his fifth NFL season, expressed excitement and jubilation during his introductory news conference Monday afternoon at the NovaCare Complex.

“They’ve built something truly special here,” said Street, signed last week as a free agent from the New Orleans Saints. “Throughout the recruitment and everything involved in free agency, I felt like the Eagles had the best combination of everything, as far as culture, the scheme, the players, and people in the building – I felt like this was the best opportunity right here.”

Street, who turns 27 in May, played his college ball at North Carolina State, where he compiled 119 tackles, 19 ½ tackles for a loss, and nine sacks over four seasons. Despite tearing an ACL at his pro day, Street was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He missed his entire rookie season while rehabbing from his injury.

The 6-foot-2, 287-pounder says it wasn’t until 2020 that he felt that his body was truly back to NFL shape.

“I was a young kid back then, and I felt like I was Superman,” Street said. “I learned a bunch about my body: to eat right, sleep right. The injury truly benefited me in the long run because I learned how to take care of my body at a younger age. [2020] was the first year I felt normal. Being able to be a whole man at that point and also being healthy, I was able to put my best foot forward.”

Last season with the Saints, Street played in all 17 games and posted career-highs in sacks (3½), pressures (nine), and tackles (29) over 518 defensive snaps (46%). In 52 career games over four seasons, Street has 6½ sacks, 17 pressures, and 71 tackles.

Street figures to be part of a defensive tackle rotation featuring Cox, 2022 first-round pick Jordan Davis, and Milton Williams, along with depth options in Marlon Tuipulotu, and Marvin Wilson. The team lost a key piece up front in Javon Hargrave, who contributed 11 sacks and signed with the 49ers in free agency. Street has previously trained with defensive end Josh Sweat under the guidance of performance trainer Yo Murphy, who also counts Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith as a client.

Street specifically relishes the opportunity to team up with Cox, 32, and Graham, 35.

“Fletch and B.G. have been setting the standard for d-linemen for a long time now,” he said. “Having the opportunity to be in the building with these guys, going to war with them, it’s going to be huge. I think it’s going to add so much to my game.

“You can’t hide stuff on the football field. You really can’t. So seeing how they celebrate together with other people’s successes ... On a lot of teams, when a d-lineman gets a sack, he’s the only one celebrating. On the Eagles, the whole defense is crazy and happy. The whole d-line is butting heads, jumping in the air, hugging each other. That’s special, you want that. We grind throughout the whole season. It’s so grueling on the body. You want to see the guys want you to be successful and you want to see the other guys be successful.

“It’s special that they have that here.”