Jeff Zgonina is a career quality starter β a pass rusher whose body of work places Zgonina in the top half of all players at the position historically. The Knox model values sustained contribution over flash, and Zgonina's career arc reflects exactly that kind of reliable professional-grade performance.
Jeff Zgonina
Top 30% all-time pass rushersHigh-End Starter
Height6'2"
Weight281 lb
BornMay 24, 1970
Age56
CollegePurdueSee College Stats
Rookie yr1993
Draft1993 Β· Rd 7, Pick 185 Β· PIT
A quality edge rusher with a top 30% among starters β a legitimate starter who contributed meaningfully across their career.
Career Value Β· VORP
VORP 93 Β· #1231 Β· High-ValueWorth 93 points of value above a freely-available replacement interior lineman β top 27% of all 4,642 ranked at the position. 9 of 15 seasons cleared the replacement bar, by +10.3 on average.See board β
Seasons above replacement
9 cleared
6 replaced
Beat replacement (adds to VORP) Below it β adds 0, never a debit
47
Replacement
the KC-H bar
β
9
Seasons over
cleared the bar
Γ
+10.3
Avg surplus
peak +19
9 seasons Γ ~10.3 surplus β VORP 93
Combined Season Grid
The full season-by-season grids, joined on one timeline. Every selected stat family stays visible at onceβno tab hopping.
1 grid split in one view
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Defense | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | |||||
| 1993 | β | PIT | 5 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 0.0 | 0.0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 1994 | β | PIT | 16 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 0.0 | 0.0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 1995 | β | CAR | 2 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 0.0 | 0.0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 1996 | β | ATL | 8 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 1.0 | 1.0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 1997 | β | LAR | 15 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 2.0 | 2.0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 1999 | β | LA | 13 | β | 28 | 23 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.5 | 14.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | β | LA | 11 | β | 27 | 20 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2.0 | 9.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | β | LA | 13 | β | 28 | 22 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0.0 | 9.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | β | LA | 15 | β | 33 | 24 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 4.0 | 13.0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | β | MIA | 11 | β | 31 | 14 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | β | MIA | 16 | β | 57 | 26 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | β | MIA | 15 | β | 38 | 18 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | β | MIA | 14 | β | 33 | 18 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | β | HOU | 10 | β | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | β | HOU | 13 | β | 11 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | β | HOU | 15 | β | 19 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1.5 | 6.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | β | 192 | β | 316 | 188 | 128 | 30 | 13 | 25.0 | 68.0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
Defense
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 23 | PIT | 5 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 0.0 | 0.0 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 24 | PIT | 16 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 0.0 | 0.0 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 4.1 |
| 1995 | 25 | CAR | 2 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 0.0 | 0.0 | β | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 1996 | 26 | ATL | 8 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 1.0 | 1.0 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 3.6 |
| 1997 | 27 | LAR | 15 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 2.0 | 2.0 | β | β | β | β | β | β | 5.7 |
| 1999 | 29 | LA | 13 | β | 28 | 23 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.5 | 14.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 | 8.6 |
| 2000 | 30 | LA | 11 | β | 27 | 20 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2.0 | 9.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.9 |
| 2001 | 31 | LA | 13 | β | 28 | 22 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0.0 | 9.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5.8 |
| 2002 | 32 | LA | 15 | β | 33 | 24 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 4.0 | 13.0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10.7 |
| 2003 | 33 | MIA | 11 | β | 31 | 14 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 2004 | 34 | MIA | 16 | β | 57 | 26 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 | 10.9 |
| 2005 | 35 | MIA | 15 | β | 38 | 18 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8.2 |
| 2006 | 36 | MIA | 14 | β | 33 | 18 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.7 |
| 2007 | 37 | HOU | 10 | β | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 | 3.7 |
| 2008 | 38 | HOU | 13 | β | 11 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.8 |
| 2009 | 39 | HOU | 15 | β | 19 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1.5 | 6.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6.9 |
| Career | 192 | 316 | 188 | 128 | 30 | 13 | β | β | 1 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 91.8 |
KV-H Anatomy
KV-H 59 Β· Strong StarterA strong starter career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 59 of 100, era-normalized against sacks/g peers across 15 scored seasons.
53
Sustained
career value
Γ.6
64
Peak
best 3 seasons
Γ.4
Γ1
Longevity
career length
Blend 57.4 Γ longevity 1 = KV-H 59Β· confidence 98%
What builds the career mark of 53
On-field 36.2
Availability 16.8
On-field production Staying available
Season-by-season quality (era-relative sacks/g)
1993bestavg 512009
All-Time Standing
how this career measures against the all-time greats at the position12
Depth
of 100
Reached 13% of the all-time Sacks leader β a rotational/depth all-time profile at the position.
13% of the all-time Sacks leader13
0 categories β₯25% of the all-time leader0
A 0β100 scale where 100 = matched the all-time leaderat this position. Built only from visible encyclopedia data β career production vs. the all-time leader, plus efficiency (EPA) and comparable-player confidence β so it's a transparent context score, not a subjective rating. Tiers: Elite β₯ 85 Β· Strong β₯ 65 Β· Solid β₯ 45 Β· Depth < 45. Comparable-player confidence: 91%.
Career Aging Trajectory
vs. position group average Β· KV-H basisAmber = this player (normalized to own peak). Indigo = average defensive linemen aging curve. Group peak age: 25. Source: StatVault KV-H era (1999+).
Postseason Career
6 playoff gamesDefense
Tkl10Solo8Ast2TFL5QBHits1Sk1.0Dis7.0
College stats are not imported for this profile yet.
StatVault has the verified college attribution (Purdue), 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 β every name is linked.
Top Teammates
Kevin CarterDE5yMatt TurkP5ySage RosenfelsQB5yIsaac BruceWR4yJason TaylorOLB4yOlindo MareK4yRicky ProehlWR4yTorry HoltWR4yZach ThomasILB4yMarshall FaulkRB4yChris ChambersWR4yDre' BlyCB4yRandy McMichaelTE4yLeonard LittleDE4yDexter McCleonDB4yDavid BowensILB4yGrant WistromDE4yKurt WarnerQB4yMorlon GreenwoodOLB4yJay WilliamsDE4yErnie ConwellTE4yTravis MinorRB4yJames HodginsRB4yJunior SeauLB3y
1993 Draft ClassΒ· this player went #185
Franchise Succession
the room, before and afterJeff inherited the Los Angeles Rams DL room from Leslie O'Neal (1996β1997), and handed it to Grant Wistrom (1998β2003).
Similar Players
Statistical + physical similarity across every player in the database, position-relevant (0β100%).
Movementderived from season history
- 2009final season
Last recorded season with HOU
- 2007team change
Joined HOU (from MIA)
- 2003team change
Joined MIA (from LA)
- 1999team change
Joined LA (from LAR)
- 1997team change
Joined LAR (from ATL)
- 1996team change
Joined ATL (from CAR)
- 1995team change
Joined CAR (from PIT)
- 1993draft
Drafted by PIT β Round 7, Pick 185
Athletic & Unique Profile
verified measurements and curated source-tagged facts6'2" / 281 lb
Frame
Injury History
No game-status injuries on record since 2009 (nflverse weekly reports).
Knox
StatVault's proprietary player intelligence, informed by full career data. How Knox works β
Historical Knox Β· KV-H
Era-normalized career quality β z-scored against 15-season peers. See all β
59
Era Translator
Sacks translated to the 2025NFL β each season's standing among its own-era peers, projected onto 2025's scoring environment. Modern-era (1999+) coverage.
| Season | Actual Sacks | Sacks/G | β 2025 Sacks | β 2025 /G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 1 | 0.1 | 2+1 | 0.1 |
| 1997 | 2 | 0.1 | 2 | 0.1 |
| 1999 | 4.5 | 0.3 | 5+0.5 | 0.3 |
| 2000 | 2 | 0.2 | 3+1 | 0.2 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 4 | 0.3 | 4 | 0.3 |
| 2003 | 3 | 0.3 | 4+1 | 0.3 |
| 2004 | 5 | 0.3 | 5 | 0.3 |
| 2005 | 2 | 0.1 | 2 | 0.1 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 2+0.5 | 0.1 |
Data: nflverse:players, nflverse:player_stats_def, nflverse:draft_picks, nflverse:injuries, wikipedia:season-stats (CC-BY-SA, facts-only), nfl.com:official-stats (facts-only reference), espn.com:stats-api (games-played, facts-only reference) Β· multi-source verified via the StatVault Oracle Β· updated 6/18/2026
Career Value Β· VORP
93 career value over replacement β #1231 all-time of 4,642. 6.2/season above a replacement-level DL.
Draft OutcomeSteal β
Pick #185 (Rd 7) Β· PIT Β· 1993 Β· +33.1 vs expected KV-H
59actual
25.9 expected Β· Ξ+33.1
Fan Rating
Rate Jeff Zgonina β All-Time
Tap a star to rate
Explore More
Similar Players