Darrin Smith is a career quality starter — a linebacker whose body of work places Smith in the top quarter of all players at the position historically. The Knox model values sustained contribution over flash, and Smith's career arc reflects exactly that kind of reliable professional-grade performance.
Season totals or exact team stints. Career totals count each season once.
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Defense | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | |||||
| 1993 | 23 | DAL | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994 | 24 | DAL | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4.0 | 4.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995 | 25 | DAL | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3.0 | 3.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1996 | 26 | DAL | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997 | 27 | PHI | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998 | 28 | SEA | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5.0 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999 | 29 | SEA | 15 | — | 69 | 45 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 30 | NO | 16 | — | 73 | 43 | 30 | 7 | 1 | 2.0 | 10.0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 |
| 2001 | 31 | NO | 16 | — | 51 | 34 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 1.5 | 7.5 | 0 | 9 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 32 | NO | 15 | — | 76 | 43 | 33 | 10 | 4 | 3.5 | 17.5 | 2 | 8 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 33 | NO | 14 | — | 46 | 30 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Career | — | 153 | — | 315 | 195 | 120 | 25 | 7 | 24.0 | 56.0 | 6 | 33 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | |
Career Value · VORP
57 career value over replacement — #1927 all-time of 4,695. 11.4/season above a replacement-level LB.
Pick #54 (Rd 2) · DAL · 1993 · +12.4 vs expected KV-H
Fan Rating
Rate Darrin Smith — All-Time
Explore More
Similar Players
11 seasons · peak 4.1 in 1998
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.
1.3 career wins over 11 seasons · 1 win = 13.08 VAL
Best season · 1998 · +0.3 wins
Latest season · 2003 · +0.1 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.
#190 of 967 all-time linebackers by KV-H
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 23 | DAL | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.3 |
| 1994 | 24 | DAL | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4.0 | 4.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3.1 |
| 1995 | 25 | DAL | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3.0 | 3.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1.9 |
| 1996 | 26 | DAL | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.1 |
| 1997 | 27 | PHI | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.2 |
| 1998 | 28 | SEA | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5.0 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4.1 |
| 1999 | 29 | SEA | 15 | — | 69 | 45 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0.5 |
| 2000 | 30 | NO | 16 | — | 73 | 43 | 30 | 7 | 1 | 2.0 | 10.0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 2.7 |
| 2001 | 31 | NO | 16 | — | 51 | 34 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 1.5 | 7.5 | 0 | 9 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 32 | NO | 15 | — | 76 | 43 | 33 | 10 | 4 | 3.5 | 17.5 | 2 | 8 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3.6 |
| 2003 | 33 | NO | 14 | — | 46 | 30 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0.8 |
| Career | 153 | 315 | 195 | 120 | 25 | 7 | 24.0 | 56.0 | 6 | 33 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 17.3 |
A strong starter career by KV-H: a well-rounded profile that scores 60 of 100, era-normalized against tackles/g peers across 5 scored seasons.
Blend 60 × longevity 1 = KV-H 60· confidence 100%
Season-by-season quality (era-relative tackles/g)
Trevor Nowaske
LB
86% match
1993 Draft ClassmatesFull class →