Ben Niemann is a career quality starter — a linebacker whose body of work places Niemann in the top quarter of all players at the position historically. The Knox model values sustained contribution over flash, and Niemann's career arc reflects exactly that kind of reliable professional-grade performance.
Ben Niemann
Height6'2"
Weight235 lb
BornJul 27, 1995
Age30
CollegeIowaSee College Stats
ConferenceBig Ten
Rookie yr2018
A linebacker with a top 30% among starters — the kind of consistent contributor every roster needs. Solid availability (excellent availability over their career) added to their value.
Career Value · VORP
VORP 35 · #2485 · Role PlayerWorth 35 points of value above a freely-available replacement linebacker — top 55% of all 4,642 ranked at the position. 4 of 5 seasons cleared the replacement bar, by +8.8 on average.See board →
Seasons above replacement
4 cleared
Beat replacement (adds to VORP) Below it — adds 0, never a debit
47
Replacement
the KC-H bar
→
4
Seasons over
cleared the bar
×
+8.8
Avg surplus
peak +11
4 seasons × ~8.8 surplus ≈ VORP 35
Combined Season Grid
The full season-by-season grids, joined on one timeline. Every selected stat family stays visible at once—no tab hopping.
3 grids split in one view
| 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% | |||||
| 2018 | — | KC | 2 | — | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 63 | 15.3% | 259 | 64.6% | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 118.7 | 7.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2019 | — | KC | 13 | — | 50 | 30 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 401 | 36.3% | 280 | 67.6% | 33 | 25 | 0.8 | 100.8 | 3.7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 44 | 3 | 0.1 |
| 2020 | — | KC | 12 | — | 42 | 28 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 7.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 466 | 45.8% | 247 | 62.2% | 22 | 18 | 0.8 | 140.7 | 9.6 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 79 | 5 | 0.1 |
| 2021 | — | KC | 16 | — | 46 | 30 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 557 | 49.6% | 276 | 64.8% | 36 | 29 | 0.8 | 113.1 | 3.3 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 59 | 7 | 0.1 |
| 2022 | — | ARI | 16 | — | 56 | 24 | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 481 | 46.2% | 184 | 41.4% | 25 | 19 | 0.8 | 85.2 | 0.4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2023 | — | DEN | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0% | — | 0.0% | 134 | 68.7% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024 | — | DET | 9 | — | 22 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 179 | 22.4% | 295 | 63.6% | 12 | 11 | 0.9 | 145.5 | 3.3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 0.1 |
| Career | — | 75 | — | 224 | 126 | 98 | 8 | 6 | 2.0 | 16.0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 2,147 | 35.9% | 1,675 | 61.8% | 131 | 105 | — | — | — | 18 | 11 | 5 | 218 | 17 | — | |
Defense
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 23 | KC | 2 | 0* | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 24 | KC | 13 | 0* | 50 | 30 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 4.6 |
| 2020 | 25 | KC | 12 | 0* | 42 | 28 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 7.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5.6 |
| 2021 | 26 | KC | 16 | 0* | 46 | 30 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2022 | 27 | ARI | 16 | 0* | 56 | 24 | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.4 |
| 2024 | 29 | DET | 9 | 0* | 22 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 |
| Career | 68 | 224 | 126 | 98 | 8 | 6 | — | — | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24.5 |
* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
Snap Counts
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Off | Off% | Def | Def% | ST | ST% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 23 | KC | 14 | 0* | — | 0.0% | 63 | 15.3% | 259 | 64.6% |
| 2019 | 24 | KC | 16 | 0* | — | 0.0% | 401 | 36.3% | 280 | 67.6% |
| 2020 | 25 | KC | 15 | 0* | — | 0.0% | 466 | 45.8% | 247 | 62.2% |
| 2021 | 26 | KC | 17 | 0* | — | 0.0% | 557 | 49.6% | 276 | 64.8% |
| 2022 | 27 | ARI | 17 | 0* | — | 0.0% | 481 | 46.2% | 184 | 41.4% |
| 2023 | 28 | DEN | 7 | — | — | 0.0% | — | 0.0% | 134 | 68.7% |
| 2024 | 29 | DET | 17 | 0* | — | 0.0% | 179 | 22.4% | 295 | 63.6% |
| Career | 103 | — | — | 2,147 | — | 1,675 | — |
* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
Advanced Defense & Coverage (2018+)
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tgt | Cmp | Cmp% | RateAll | ADOT | Prss | Hrry | QBKD | Bltz | MissTkl | Miss% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 23 | KC | 14 | 0* | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 118.7 | 7.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2019 | 24 | KC | 16 | 0* | 33 | 25 | 0.8 | 100.8 | 3.7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 44 | 3 | 0.1 |
| 2020 | 25 | KC | 15 | 0* | 22 | 18 | 0.8 | 140.7 | 9.6 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 79 | 5 | 0.1 |
| 2021 | 26 | KC | 17 | 0* | 36 | 29 | 0.8 | 113.1 | 3.3 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 59 | 7 | 0.1 |
| 2022 | 27 | ARI | 17 | 0* | 25 | 19 | 0.8 | 85.2 | 0.4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2024 | 29 | DET | 17 | 0* | 12 | 11 | 0.9 | 145.5 | 3.3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 0.1 |
| Career | 96 | 131 | 105 | — | — | — | 18 | 11 | 5 | 218 | 17 | — |
* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
KV-H Anatomy
KV-H 55 · Strong StarterA strong starter career by KV-H: a remarkably steady profile that scores 55 of 100, era-normalized against tackles/g peers across 5 scored seasons.
55
Sustained
career value
×.6
56
Peak
best 3 seasons
×.4
×1
Longevity
career length
Blend 55.4 × longevity 1 = KV-H 55· confidence 100%
What builds the career mark of 55
On-field 38.4
Availability 16.6
On-field production Staying available
Season-by-season quality (era-relative tackles/g)
2019bestavg 542024
All-Time Standing
how this career measures against the all-time greats at the position1
Depth
of 100
Reached 1% of the all-time Sacks leader — a rotational/depth all-time profile at the position.
1% of the all-time Sacks leader1
0 categories ≥25% of the all-time leader0
A 0–100 scale where 100 = matched the all-time leaderat this position. Built only from visible encyclopedia data — career production vs. the all-time leader, plus efficiency (EPA) and comparable-player confidence — so it's a transparent context score, not a subjective rating. Tiers: Elite ≥ 85 · Strong ≥ 65 · Solid ≥ 45 · Depth < 45. Comparable-player confidence: 91%.
Per-Snap Impact
Linebackers · proprietary · 2012+30
Rotational
SIS
Disruption/1000.978Snap share35.9%Def snaps2,147ReliableCV 0.42
Production per snap — the box score normalized by opportunity. SIS is z-scored within linebackers, shrinkage-regularized so small samples don't spike, over the NFL snap-count era (2012+).
Career Aging Trajectory
vs. position group average · KV-H basisAmber = this player (normalized to own peak). Indigo = average linebackers aging curve. Group peak age: 25. Source: StatVault KV-H era (1999+).
Postseason Career
8 playoff gamesDefense
Tkl22Solo12Ast10QBHits1Dis1.0
College stats are not imported for this profile yet.
StatVault has the verified college attribution (Iowa), but no parsed college box-score table is present in this profile artifact. The section stays here so every profile has a consistent college-stats landing point without fabricating unavailable rows.
Reference Graph
Career teammates and draft class, derived from year-by-year rosters — every name is linked.
Top Teammates
Darrel WilliamsRB5yTravis KelceTE4yJames WinchesterLS4yChris JonesDL4yTyreek HillWR4yDemarcus RobinsonWR4yHarrison ButkerK4yDerrick NnadiNT4yPatrick MahomesQB4yAndrew WylieG4yDaniel SorensenDB4yAnthony HitchensMLB4yCharvarius WardCB4yArmani WattsDB4yDorian O'DanielLB4yTyrann MathieuFS3yEric FisherOT3yFrank ClarkLB3ySammy WatkinsWR3yNick AllegrettiG3yMitchell SchwartzOT3yAnthony ShermanFB3yTanoh KpassagnonDE3yAlex OkaforDE3y
Similar Players
Statistical + physical similarity across every player in the database, position-relevant (0–100%).
Movementderived from season history
- 2024team change
Joined DET (from DEN)
- 2024final season
Last recorded season with DET
- 2023team change
Joined DEN (from ARI)
- 2022team change
Joined ARI (from KC)
- 2018signing
Entered the NFL with KC
Athletic & Unique Profile
verified measurements and curated source-tagged facts6'2" / 235 lb
Frame
Injury History
2 career games missed (Out)From nflverse weekly injury reports · coverage begins 2009.
| Season | Team | Games Out | Designations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DET | 0 | W11Questionable· Ankle |
| 2020 | KC | 1 | W17Out· Hamstring |
| 2018 | KC | 1 | W2Out· HamstringW3Doubtful· Hamstring |
Knox
StatVault's proprietary player intelligence, informed by full career data. How Knox works →
Historical Knox · KV-H
Era-normalized career quality — z-scored against 5-season peers. See all →
55
peak 56
Season Report Cards· KV-H era-normalized per season
C+2019
C+2020
C+2021
C+2022
C2024
Availability
Career durability — games played vs. scheduled, across 7 seasons.
89%
Era Translator
Tackles translated to the 2025NFL — each season's standing among its own-era peers, projected onto 2025's scoring environment. Modern-era (1999+) coverage.
| Season | Actual Tackles | Tackles/G | → 2025 Tackles | → 2025 /G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 50 | 3.8 | 58+8 | 3.4 |
| 2020 | 42 | 3.5 | 56+14 | 3.3 |
| 2021 | 46 | 2.9 | 46 | 2.7 |
| 2022 | 56 | 3.5 | 57+1 | 3.4 |
| 2024 | 22 | 2.4 | 43+21 | 2.5 |
Data: nflverse:players, nflverse:player_stats_def, nflverse:snap_counts, nflverse:injuries · multi-source verified via the StatVault Oracle · updated 6/18/2026
Career Value · VORP
35 career value over replacement — #2485 all-time of 4,642. 7/season above a replacement-level LB.
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