Dont'a Hightower is a career quality starter — a pass rusher whose body of work places Hightower in the top quarter of all players at the position historically. The Knox model values sustained contribution over flash, and Hightower's career arc reflects exactly that kind of reliable professional-grade performance.

On the boards· Appears on 1 board

#77Dynasty playersof 200

OLBNE#54ACT

Dont'a Hightower

2× Pro Bowl👑 Dynasty DNA · 8 seasons · 3 titles Top 23% all-time pass rushersHigh-End Starter🌅 Early Bloomer · 2014

Height6'3"

Weight

Career Value · VORP

103 career value over replacement — #1108 all-time of 4,695. 11.4/season above a replacement-level LB.

Draft OutcomeValue ↑

Pick #25 (Rd 1) · NE · 2012 · +7.2 vs expected KV-H

62actual

54.8 expected · Δ+7.2

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Compare Dont'a Hightower vs Player Report data error

Combined Season Grid

Season totals or exact team stints. Career totals count each season once.

3 categories · One row per season · Scroll for all statistics

Season	Age	Team	G	GS	Defense													Snap Counts						Advanced Defense & Coverage (2018+)
Season	Age	Team	G	GS	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%
2012	22	NE	14	—	59	42	17	10	9	4.0	23.0	0	3	0	2	1	0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2013	23	NE	16	—	95	53	42	4	5	1.0	10.0	0	3	0	—	0	0	—	0.0%	856	74.8%	90	18.3%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2014	24	NE	12	—	86	48	38	9	13	6.0	28.0	0	2	1	—	0	0	—	0.0%	835	97.9%	59	16.8%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2015	25	NE	12	—	43	33	10	5	6	3.5	14.5	0	2	0	1	0	0	—	0.0%	593	71.8%	47	13.1%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2016	26	NE	13	—	64	30	34	1	8	2.5	11.5	0	2	1	—	0	1	—	0.0%	708	82.5%	53	14.2%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2017	27	NE	5	—	14	12	2	2	3	2.0	7.0	0	0	0	—	0	0	—	0.0%	237	69.4%	20	14.4%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2018	28	NE	15	—	47	23	24	3	6	1.0	10.0	1	1	0	1	0	0	—	0.0%	774	79.5%	78	18.4%	35	25	0.7	87.3	4.3	12	8	3	105	4	0.1
2019	29	NE	15	—	60	36	24	8	13	5.5	26.5	0	4	0	1	1	0	—	0.0%	723	77.3%	86	19.8%	29	20	0.7	110.6	3.0	19	6	6	78	3	0.0
2021	31	NE	15	—	56	31	25	1	4	1.5	6.5	0	1	0	—	0	0	—	0.0%	634	66.8%	47	12.1%	31	28	0.9	109.4	3.3	10	7	1	36	10	0.1
Career		—	117	—	524	308	216	43	67	27.0	137.0	1	18	2	5	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	95	73	—	—	—	41	21	10	219	17	—

Career arc · VAL by season

9 seasons · peak 4.5 in 2019

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.

What he added · wins above replacement

1.5 career wins over 9 seasons · 1 win = 13.08 VAL

Best season · 2019 · +0.3 wins

Defence+0.3

Defense

Season	Age	Team	G	GS	Tkl	Solo	Ast	TFL	QBHits	Sk	Dis	Int	PD	FF	FR	TD	Sfty	VAL
2012	22	NE	14	—	59	42	17	10	9	4.0	23.0	0	3	0	2	1	0	2.1
2013	23	NE	15	12*	95	53	42	4	5	1.0	10.0	0	3	0	—	0	0	0.4
2014	24	NE	12	12*	86	48	38	9	13	6.0	28.0	0	2	1	—	0	0	4.3
2015	25	NE	12	9*	43	33	10	5	6	3.5	14.5	0	2	0	1	0	0	2.4
2016	26	NE	13	11*	64	30	34	1	8	2.5	11.5	0	2	1	—	0	1	2.3
2017	27	NE	5	3*	14	12	2	2	3	2.0	7.0	0	0	0	—	0	0	1.4
2018	28	NE	15	12*	47	23	24	3	6	1.0	10.0	1	1	0	1	0	0	1.3
2019	29	NE	15	12*	60	36	24	8	13	5.5	26.5	0	4	0	1	1	0	4.5
2021	31	NE	15	10*	56	31	25	1	4	1.5	6.5	0	1	0	—	0	0	0.6
Career			116		524	308	216	43	67	27.0	137.0	1	18	2	5	2	1	19.3

* 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%
2013	23	NE	16	12*	—	0.0%	856	74.8%	90	18.3%
2014	24	NE	12	12*	—	0.0%	835	97.9%	59	16.8%
2015	25	NE	12	9*	—	0.0%	593	71.8%	47	13.1%
2016	26	NE	13	11*	—	0.0%	708	82.5%	53	14.2%
2017	27	NE	5	3*	—	0.0%	237	69.4%	20	14.4%
2018	28	NE	15	12*	—	0.0%	774	79.5%	78	18.4%
2019	29	NE	15	12*	—	0.0%	723	77.3%	86	19.8%
2021	31	NE	15	10*	—	0.0%	634	66.8%	47	12.1%
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+)

Advanced Defense & Coverage (2018+)

Season	Age	Team	G	GS	Tgt	Cmp	Cmp%	RateAll	ADOT	Prss	Hrry	QBKD	Bltz	MissTkl	Miss%
2018	28	NE	15	12*	35	25	0.7	87.3	4.3	12	8	3	105	4	0.1
2019	29	NE	15	12*	29	20	0.7	110.6	3.0	19	6	6	78	3	0.0
2021	31	NE	15	10*	31	28	0.9	109.4	3.3	10	7	1	36	10	0.1
Career			45	34*	95	73	—	—	—	41	21	10	219	17	—

* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)

KV-H Anatomy

KV-H 62 · Strong Starter

A strong starter career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 62 of 100, era-normalized against sacks/g peers across 9 scored seasons.

Sustained

career value

×.6

Peak

best 3 seasons

×.4

×1

Longevity

career length

Blend 62.6 × longevity 1 = KV-H 62· confidence 96%

What builds the career mark of 59

On-field 42.1

Availability 16.9

On the boards· Appears on 1 board

Dont'a Hightower

Combined Season Grid

Career arc · VAL by season

What he added · wins above replacement

Defense

Snap Counts

Advanced Defense & Coverage (2018+)

KV-H Anatomy

Position percentile · EDGE