Jonathan Vilma is a career quality starter β a pass rusher whose body of work places Vilma in the top half of all players at the position historically. The Knox model values sustained contribution over flash, and Vilma's career arc reflects exactly that kind of reliable professional-grade performance.
Jonathan Vilma
Height6'1"
Weight230 lb
BornApr 16, 1982
Age44
CollegeMiamiSee College Stats
Rookie yr2004
Draft2004 Β· Rd 1, Pick 12 Β· NYJ
All-Time Rank & Honors
career ranks, postseason ranks, awards, title context3x
Pro Bowls
A quality edge rusher with a above-average career β a legitimate starter who contributed meaningfully across their career.
Career Value Β· VORP
VORP 48 Β· #2110 Β· Above AverageWorth 48 points of value above a freely-available replacement linebacker β top 46% of all 4,642 ranked at the position. 7 of 9 seasons cleared the replacement bar, by +6.9 on average.See board β
Seasons above replacement
7 cleared
2 replaced
Beat replacement (adds to VORP) Below it β adds 0, never a debit
47
Replacement
the KC-H bar
β
7
Seasons over
cleared the bar
Γ
+6.9
Avg surplus
peak +17
7 seasons Γ ~6.9 surplus β VORP 48
Combined Season Grid
The full season-by-season grids, joined on one timeline. Every selected stat family stays visible at onceβno tab hopping.
2 grids split in one view
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Defense | Snap Counts | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | Off | Off% | Def | Def% | ST | ST% | |||||
| 2004 | β | NYJ | 16 | β | 75 | 45 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 2005 | β | NYJ | 16 | β | 120 | 75 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 2006 | β | NYJ | 16 | β | 85 | 38 | 47 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 2007 | β | NYJ | 7 | β | 28 | 17 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | β | 0 | 0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 2008 | β | NO | 16 | β | 110 | 76 | 34 | 4 | 4 | 1.0 | 9.0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 2009 | β | NO | 15 | β | 82 | 59 | 23 | 10 | 9 | 2.0 | 21.0 | 3 | 8 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 2010 | β | NO | 16 | β | 84 | 51 | 33 | 6 | 9 | 4.0 | 19.0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 2011 | β | NO | 11 | β | 51 | 33 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 2012 | β | NO | 11 | β | 36 | 19 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 1.0 | 8.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | β | 1 | 0 | β | β | β | β | β | β |
| 2013 | β | NO | 1 | β | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 | β | 0.0% | 12 | 20.0% | 1 | 3.0% |
| Career | β | 125 | β | 672 | 414 | 258 | 26 | 28 | 11.0 | 65.0 | 12 | 39 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 0 | β | 0.0% | 12 | 20.0% | 1 | 3.0% | |
Defense
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 22 | NYJ | 16 | β | 75 | 45 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11.7 |
| 2005 | 23 | NYJ | 16 | β | 120 | 75 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| 2006 | 24 | NYJ | 16 | β | 85 | 38 | 47 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7.9 |
| 2007 | 25 | NYJ | 7 | β | 28 | 17 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | β | 0 | 0 | 4.6 |
| 2008 | 26 | NO | 16 | β | 110 | 76 | 34 | 4 | 4 | 1.0 | 9.0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9.9 |
| 2009 | 27 | NO | 15 | β | 82 | 59 | 23 | 10 | 9 | 2.0 | 21.0 | 3 | 8 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 | 12.2 |
| 2010 | 28 | NO | 16 | β | 84 | 51 | 33 | 6 | 9 | 4.0 | 19.0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| 2011 | 29 | NO | 11 | β | 51 | 33 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5.4 |
| 2012 | 30 | NO | 11 | β | 36 | 19 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 1.0 | 8.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | β | 1 | 0 | 6.7 |
| 2013 | 31 | NO | 1 | β | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | β | 0 | 0 | β |
| Career | 125 | 672 | 414 | 258 | 26 | 28 | β | β | 12 | 39 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 80.4 |
Snap Counts
KV-H Anatomy
KV-H 56 Β· Strong StarterA strong starter career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 56 of 100, era-normalized against sacks/g peers across 9 scored seasons.
52
Sustained
career value
Γ.6
60
Peak
best 3 seasons
Γ.4
Γ1
Longevity
career length
Blend 55.2 Γ longevity 1 = KV-H 56Β· confidence 99%
What builds the career mark of 52
On-field 33.9
Availability 18.1
On-field production Staying available
Season-by-season quality (era-relative sacks/g)
2004bestavg 502012
All-Time Standing
how this career measures against the all-time greats at the position5
Depth
of 100
Reached 6% of the all-time Sacks leader β a rotational/depth all-time profile at the position.
6% of the all-time Sacks leader6
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%.
Per-Snap Impact
Edge Rushers Β· proprietary Β· 2012+β
below snap floor
Disruption/1000Snap share20%Def snaps12Emerging
Production per snap β the box score normalized by opportunity. SIS is z-scored within edge rushers, shrinkage-regularized so small samples don't spike, over the NFL snap-count era (2012+).
Career Aging Trajectory
vs. position group average Β· KV-H basisAmber = this player (normalized to own peak). Indigo = average linebackers aging curve. Group peak age: 25. Source: StatVault KV-H era (1999+).
Combine Β· 2004
Percentiles compare each raw measurement against position peers, the full combine pool, and the same draft class where enough samples exist.
4.61s
40-Yard
Strong Β· 86th pct
Pos 86thAll 57thClass Pos 98thClass All 59th
Postseason Career
9 playoff gamesDefense
Tkl52Solo33Ast19TFL4QBHits1Sk1.0Dis6.0Int1PD3FF1FR2
College stats are not imported for this profile yet.
StatVault has the verified college attribution (Miami), 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
Drew BreesQB6yRoman HarperS6yMarques ColstonWR6yLance MooreWR6yPierre ThomasRB6yThomas MorsteadP5yMalcolm JenkinsS5yWill SmithLB5yScott ShanleOLB5yDevery HendersonWR5yJabari GreerCB5yRobert MeachemWR5ySedrick EllisDT5yGarrett HartleyK5yJimmy GrahamTE4yShaun EllisDE4yJerricho CotcheryWR4yEric BartonILB4yBryan ThomasOLB4yDavid BarrettCB4yErik ColemanS4yBen GrahamP4yJustin McCareinsWR4yChris BakerTE4y
2004 Draft ClassΒ· this player went #12
Franchise Succession
the room, before and afterJonathan inherited the New Orleans Saints LB room from Scott Shanle (2006β2012), and handed it to Jo-Lonn Dunbar (2008β2015).
Similar Players
Statistical + physical similarity across every player in the database, position-relevant (0β100%).
Movementderived from season history
- 2013final season
Last recorded season with NO
- 2008team change
Joined NO (from NYJ)
- 2004draft
Drafted by NYJ β Round 1, Pick 12
Athletic & Unique Profile
verified measurements and curated source-tagged facts6'1" / 230 lb
Frame
233 lb at 4.61s
Size-speed
Injury History
1 career game missed (Out)From nflverse weekly injury reports Β· coverage begins 2009.
| Season | Team | Games Out | Designations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | NO | 1 | W3DoubtfulΒ· KneeW4QuestionableΒ· KneeW9QuestionableΒ· KneeW10OutΒ· KneeW12QuestionableΒ· KneeW15QuestionableΒ· KneeW17QuestionableΒ· Knee |
| 2009 | NO | 0 | W12QuestionableΒ· KneeW17QuestionableΒ· Knee |
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 9-season peers. See all β
56
peak 60
Season Report CardsΒ· KV-H era-normalized per season
C+2004
C+2005
C2006
D2007
C+2008
C+2009
B2010
C2011
C2012
Availability
Career durability β games played vs. scheduled, across 10 seasons.
78%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 3+0.5 | 0.1 |
| 2005 | 0.5 | 0 | 0-0.5 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 | 0.1 | 1 | 0.1 |
| 2009 | 2 | 0.1 | 2 | 0.1 |
| 2010 | 4 | 0.3 | 4 | 0.3 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 | 0.1 | 2+1 | 0.1 |
Data: nflverse:players, nflverse:player_stats_def, nflverse:snap_counts, nflverse:combine, nflverse:draft_picks, nflverse:injuries Β· multi-source verified via the StatVault Oracle Β· updated 6/18/2026
Career Value Β· VORP
48 career value over replacement β #2110 all-time of 4,642. 5.3/season above a replacement-level LB.
Draft OutcomeMiss β
Pick #12 (Rd 1) Β· NYJ Β· 2004 Β· -4.3 vs expected KV-H
56actual
60.3 expected Β· Ξβ4.3
Fan Rating
Rate Jonathan Vilma β All-Time
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