49ers Kentavius Street on path to replace Arik Armstead in 2020?

The San Francisco 49ers will face a decision with defensive tackle Arik Armstead in 2020, and a possible replacement is second-year pro Kentavius Street, who could take over Armstead’s role.

Remember back in 2018 when the San Francisco 49ers used a fourth-round NFL Draft pick on former NC State defensive tackle Kentavius Street? It wasn’t hard to see the move as a wasted pick at the time. After all, Street tore his ACL just before the draft during his pro day. And despite the promise Street had, the Niners had other needs across the roster.

Considering how many failed ACL-tear selections the team made in previous years, Street’s selection didn’t exactly go over well.

Fast forward to 2019, and the context is entirely different.

Street has since recovered from the injury, and he’s now competing for one of only a handful of precious depth spots on San Francisco’s defensive line this training camp and preseason. The 6-foot-2, 287-pound Street has been working almost exclusively on the inside of the defensive line, which appears to be where the 49ers are comfortable playing him.

And as far as long-term ramifications go, Street could wind up being more than just a role player.

The Niners’ top pick from the 2015 NFL Draft, defensive tackle Arik Armstead, is in a contract year and is scheduled to hit free agency in 2020. Armstead was arguably the Niners’ second-best defender last season behind defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, at least according to Pro Football Focus. And while Armstead might have taken a few seasons to find his groove, it’s pretty clear he’s emerged as a good player.

But is he someone San Francisco wants to retain on a new contract next season?

That’s a question for another time. Yet one of the key measures for success among NFL teams is the ability to transition from older, more expensive players to younger, cheaper talent. So it’s not hard to draw the conclusion the 49ers are at least considering swapping out Armstead for Street a little less than a year from now.

Street has his share of endorsements, too.

“When you see a guy like Street, you don’t expect him to move the way he does, and he is definitely an athlete,” Buckner said on KNBR 680’s Tolbert, Krueger, and Brooks Show (h/t 49ers Webzone). “The dude can bench the weight room. He can bench the weight room; he can squat the weight room. Honestly, he’s the strongest guy I’ve ever seen.”

While strength alone doesn’t always equate to success at the NFL level, the idea of Street becoming a pocket-wrecking force in the very near future isn’t that hard to fathom.

It’s one of the reasons why this upcoming preseason and regular season, assuming Street makes it that far, will be so critical in determining the 49ers’ long-term decision-making process.

Even if Armstead has a career year in 2019, a solid showing from Street could be enough to warrant the change.

There’s a lot to be determined here, of course. But it’s much easier now to rationalize San Francisco’s decision to go after Street back in 2018 at a time when using a precious draft pick on an injured player seemed silly, at best.