Justin Smith ranks in the all-time elite tier for pass rushers — a career that places Smith in the top 5% of all players at the position. The Knox value model assigns Smith a career score of 82, reflecting sustained impact that most players at the position never approach.
Season totals or exact team stints. Career totals count each season once.
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | VAL | Defense | Snap Counts | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | Off | Off% | Def | Def% | ST | ST% | ||||||
| 2001 | 21–22 | CIN | 15 | — | 7.8 | 45 | 32 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 8.5 | 28.5 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002 | 22–23 | CIN | 16 | — | 3.1 | 52 | 39 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 6.5 | 21.5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003 | 23–24 | CIN | 15 | — | 1.7 | 54 | 35 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2004 | 24–25 | CIN | 16 | — | 3.6 | 65 | 37 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005 | 25–26 | CIN | 16 | — | 2.4 | 63 | 43 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2006 | 26–27 | CIN | 16 | — | 3.6 | 75 | 44 | 31 | 0 | 19 | 7.0 | 26.0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2007 | 27–28 | CIN | 16 | — | 0.3 | 75 | 45 | 30 | 0 | 11 | 2.5 | 13.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2008 | 28–29 | SF | 16 | — | 4.8 | 69 | 44 | 25 | 9 | 15 | 7.0 | 31.0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2009 | 29–30 | SF | 16 | — | 3.7 | 48 | 34 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 6.0 | 32.0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2010 | 30–31 | SF | 16 | — | 5.1 | 64 | 51 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 8.5 | 37.5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2011 | 31–32 | SF | 16 | — | 5.9 | 51 | 38 | 13 | 6 | 20 | 7.5 | 33.5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2012 | 32–33 | SF | 14 | — | 2.3 | 61 | 42 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 3.0 | 22.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2013 | 33–34 | SF | 16 | — | 5.3 | 40 | 23 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 6.5 | 31.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 780 | 73.1% | 69 | 15.1% |
| 2014 | 34–35 | SF | 16 | — | 2.9 | 39 | 24 | 15 | 7 | 14 | 5.0 | 26.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0.0% | 694 | 66.6% | 6 | 1.4% |
| Career | — | 220 | — | 52.5 | 801 | 531 | 270 | 83 | 152 | 86.0 | 321.0 | 3 | 30 | 16 | 10 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Career Value · VORP
278 career value over replacement — #172 all-time of 4,695. 19.9/season above a replacement-level EDGE.
Pick #4 (Rd 1) · CIN · 2001 · +18.7 vs expected KV-H
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14 seasons · peak 7.8 in 2001
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.
4.0 career wins over 14 seasons · 1 win = 13.08 VAL
Best season · 2001 · +0.6 wins
Latest season · 2014 · +0.2 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.
#82 of 1,595 all-time pass rushers by KV-H
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 21–22 | CIN | 15 | — | 45 | 32 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 8.5 | 28.5 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 7.8 |
| 2002 | 22–23 | CIN | 16 | — | 52 | 39 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 6.5 | 21.5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | 0 | 0 | 3.1 |
| 2003 | 23–24 | CIN | 15 | — | 54 | 35 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1.7 |
| 2004 | 24–25 | CIN | 16 | — | 65 | 37 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3.6 |
| 2005 | 25–26 | CIN | 16 | — | 63 | 43 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.4 |
| 2006 | 26–27 | CIN | 16 | — | 75 | 44 | 31 | 0 | 19 | 7.0 | 26.0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3.6 |
| 2007 | 27–28 | CIN | 16 | — | 75 | 45 | 30 | 0 | 11 | 2.5 | 13.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0.3 |
| 2008 | 28–29 | SF | 16 | — | 69 | 44 | 25 | 9 | 15 | 7.0 | 31.0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 4.8 |
| 2009 | 29–30 | SF | 16 | — | 48 | 34 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 6.0 | 32.0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 |
| 2010 | 30–31 | SF | 16 | — | 64 | 51 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 8.5 | 37.5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 5.1 |
| 2011 | 31–32 | SF | 16 | — | 51 | 38 | 13 | 6 | 20 | 7.5 | 33.5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.9 |
| 2012 | 32–33 | SF | 14 | — | 61 | 42 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 3.0 | 22.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 |
| 2013 | 33–34 | SF | 15 | 12* | 40 | 23 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 6.5 | 31.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 5.3 |
| 2014 | 34–35 | SF | 16 | 11* | 39 | 24 | 15 | 7 | 14 | 5.0 | 26.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 |
| Career | 219 | 801 | 531 | 270 | 83 | 152 | 86.0 | 321.0 | 3 | 30 | 16 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 52.5 |
* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Off | Off% | Def | Def% | ST | ST% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 33–34 | SF | 16 | 12* | — | 0.0% | 780 | 73.1% | 69 | 15.1% |
| 2014 | 34–35 | SF | 16 | 11* | — | 0.0% | 694 | 66.6% | 6 | 1.4% |
| 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+)
A great career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 82 of 100, era-normalized against sacks/g peers across 14 scored seasons.
Blend 74.6 × longevity 1 = KV-H 82· confidence 100%
Season-by-season quality (era-relative sacks/g)
Tony Brackens
DE
91% match
2001 Draft ClassmatesFull class →