A.J. Epenesa is a career quality starter — a linebacker whose body of work places Epenesa in the top half of all players at the position historically. The Knox model values sustained contribution over flash, and Epenesa's career arc reflects exactly that kind of reliable professional-grade performance.
Career Value · VORP
12 career value over replacement — #3533 all-time of 4,695. 2/season above a replacement-level LB.
Pick #54 (Rd 2) · BUF · 2020 · +1.4 vs expected KV-H
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Rate A.J. Epenesa — All-Time
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Season totals or exact team stints. Career totals count each season once.
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Defense | Snap Counts | Advanced Defense & Coverage (2018+) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | Off | Off% | Def | Def% | ST | ST% | Tgt | Cmp | Cmp% | RateAll | ADOT | Prss | Hrry | QBKD | Bltz | MissTkl | Miss% | |||||
| 2020 | 21–22 | BUF | 14 | — | 12 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1.0 | 8.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 291 | 30.5% | 79 | 19.4% | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 95.8 | 7.0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2021 | 22–23 | BUF | 14 | — | 14 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 1.5 | 12.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 330 | 36.9% | 144 | 40.8% | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 0.2 |
| 2022 | 23–24 | BUF | 15 | — | 15 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 6.5 | 23.5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 375 | 37.6% | 43 | 11.6% | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 116.7 | 3.0 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0.2 |
| 2023 | 24–25 | BUF | 15 | — | 20 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 6.5 | 23.5 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 387 | 40.6% | 26 | 7.0% | 3 | 2 | 0.7 | 52.8 | 6.3 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0.2 |
| 2024 | 25–26 | BUF | 17 | — | 36 | 20 | 16 | 8 | 11 | 6.0 | 25.0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 0 | 1 | — | 0.0% | 612 | 55.1% | 63 | 13.7% | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 58.3 | -3.8 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 |
| 2025 | 26–27 | BUF | 16 | — | 32 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 9 | 2.5 | 13.5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 438 | 47.4% | 85 | 20.2% | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 16.7 | 0.3 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0.1 |
| 2026 | 27–28 | PHI | 4 | — | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 38 | 14.3% | 35 | 32.0% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | — | 95 | — | 133 | 77 | 56 | 29 | 53 | 24.0 | 106.0 | 4 | 22 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 9 | — | — | — | 77 | 24 | 27 | 4 | 16 | — | |
7 seasons · peak 7.3 in 2023
VAL (Value Above League) measures each NFL season against that season's league; the dashed line is zero — a season that added nothing above the league's fringe. ● peak · ○ league-best season.
1.5 career wins over 7 seasons · 1 win = 13.08 VAL
Best season · 2023 · +0.6 wins
VAL 3.0 measures each part of a NFL player's game in his sport's own currency against what that season's fringe players produced, converted to team wins with rates fitted from every team-season in the encyclopedia.
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 21–22 | BUF | 10 | 0* | 12 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1.0 | 8.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0.1 |
| 2021 | 22–23 | BUF | 14 | 0* | 14 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 1.5 | 12.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0.5 |
| 2022 | 23–24 | BUF | 10 | 0* | 15 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 6.5 | 23.5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.2 |
| 2023 | 24–25 | BUF | 14 | 0* | 20 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 6.5 | 23.5 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7.3 |
| 2024 | 25–26 | BUF | 16 | 9* | 36 | 20 | 16 | 8 | 11 | 6.0 | 25.0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 0 | 1 | 3.6 |
| 2025 | 26–27 | BUF | 15 | 0* | 32 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 9 | 2.5 | 13.5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 |
| 2026 | 27–28 | PHI | 3 | 0* | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 82 | 9* | 133 | 77 | 56 | 29 | 53 | 24.0 | 106.0 | 4 | 22 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 20 |
* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Off | Off% | Def | Def% | ST | ST% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 21–22 | BUF | 14 | 0* | — | 0.0% | 291 | 30.5% | 79 | 19.4% |
| 2021 | 22–23 | BUF | 14 | 0* | — | 0.0% | 330 | 36.9% | 144 | 40.8% |
| 2022 | 23–24 | BUF | 15 | 0* | — | 0.0% | 375 | 37.6% | 43 | 11.6% |
| 2023 | 24–25 | BUF | 15 | 0* | — | 0.0% | 387 | 40.6% | 26 | 7.0% |
| 2024 | 25–26 | BUF | 17 | 9* | — | 0.0% | 612 | 55.1% | 63 | 13.7% |
| 2025 | 26–27 | BUF | 16 | 0* | — | 0.0% | 438 | 47.4% | 85 | 20.2% |
| 2026 | 27–28 | PHI | 4 | 0* | — | 0.0% | 38 | 14.3% | 35 | 32.0% |
| Career | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Career games and per-game totals are unavailable because the season rows do not establish complete career coverage. Published career totals are preserved.
* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tgt | Cmp | Cmp% | RateAll | ADOT | Prss | Hrry | QBKD | Bltz | MissTkl | Miss% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 21–22 | BUF | 14 | 0* | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 95.8 | 7.0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2021 | 22–23 | BUF | 14 | 0* | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 0.2 |
| 2022 | 23–24 | BUF | 15 | 0* | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 116.7 | 3.0 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0.2 |
| 2023 | 24–25 | BUF | 15 | 0* | 3 | 2 | 0.7 | 52.8 | 6.3 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0.2 |
| 2024 | 25–26 | BUF | 17 | 9* | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 58.3 | -3.8 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 |
| 2025 | 26–27 | BUF | 16 | 0* | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 16.7 | 0.3 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0.1 |
| Career | 91 | 9* | 14 | 9 | — | — | — | 77 | 24 | 27 | 4 | 16 | — |
* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
Source: nflverse (CC-BY 4.0) · 2016–2026 · 3 games
Folded from the per-game logs on file. Home/away, result, month and division come from the NFL schedule feed; where a game has no schedule row those dimensions leave it out rather than guess, and the count is shown.
| Home / Away | G |
|---|---|
| Home | 11 |
| Away | 9 |
| Wins / Losses | G |
|---|---|
| Wins | 13 |
| Losses | 7 |
A solid career by KV-H: a well-rounded profile that scores 49 of 100, era-normalized against tackles/g peers across 6 scored seasons.
Blend 49.2 × longevity 1 = KV-H 49· confidence 100%
Dondrea Tillman
LB
86% match
2020 Draft ClassmatesFull class →
#362 of 967 all-time linebackers by KV-H
| Regular season / Postseason |
|---|
| G |
|---|
| Regular season | 18 |
| Postseason | 2 |
| By opponent | G |
|---|---|
| vs ATL | 1 |
| vs BAL | 1 |
| vs CAR | 1 |
| vs CIN | 1 |
| vs CLE | 1 |
| vs DEN | 1 |
| vs HOU | 1 |
| vs JAX | 2 |
| vs KC | 1 |
| vs LA | 1 |
| vs MIA | 1 |
| vs NE | 1 |
| vs NO | 1 |
| vs NYJ | 2 |
| vs PHI | 1 |
| vs PIT | 1 |
| vs TB | 1 |
| vs WAS | 1 |
| By month | G |
|---|---|
| January | 3 |
| September | 5 |
| October | 5 |
| November | 4 |
| December | 3 |
| Division games | G |
|---|---|
| Division | 5 |
| Non-division | 15 |
Season-by-season quality (era-relative tackles/g)