Lin Dawson is a career quality starter — a tight end whose body of work places Dawson in the top half of all players at the position historically. The Knox model values sustained contribution over flash, and Dawson'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 | Receiving | Defense | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | Y/R | Y/Tgt | AirYd/T | 1D | Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | |||||
| 1981 | 22 | NE | 15 | — | — | 7 | 126 | 0 | — | 18.0 | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1982 | 23 | NE | 8 | — | — | 13 | 160 | 1 | — | 12.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983 | 24 | NE | 13 | — | — | 9 | 84 | 1 | — | 9.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1984 | 25 | NE | 16 | — | — | 39 | 427 | 4 | — | 10.9 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1985 | 26 | NE | 16 | — | — | 17 | 148 | 0 | — | 8.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1987 | 28 | NE | 12 | — | — | 12 | 81 | 0 | — | 6.8 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1988 | 29 | NE | 6 | — | — | 8 | 106 | 2 | — | 13.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989 | 30 | NE | 16 | — | — | 12 | 101 | 0 | — | 8.4 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Career | — | 102 | — | — | 117 | 1,233 | 8 | — | 10.5 | — | — | — | 7 | 6 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | |
Career Value · VORP
87 career value over replacement — #1365 all-time of 4,695. 10.9/season above a replacement-level TE.
Pick #212 (Rd 8) · NWE · 1981 · +40.2 vs expected KV-H
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8 seasons · peak 5.5 in 1984
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.
0.8 career wins over 8 seasons · 1 win = 13.08 VAL
Best season · 1984 · +0.4 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.
#180 of 698 all-time TEs by KV-H
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | Y/R | Y/Tgt | AirYd/T | 1D | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 22 | NE | 15 | — | — | 7 | 126 | 0 | — | 18.0 | — | — | — | 0.2 |
| 1982 | 23 | NE | 8 | — | — | 13 | 160 | 1 | — | 12.3 | — | — | — | 2.3 |
| 1983 | 24 | NE | 13 | — | — | 9 | 84 | 1 | — | 9.3 | — | — | — | 0.4 |
| 1984 | 25 | NE | 16 | — | — | 39 | 427 | 4 | — | 10.9 | — | — | — | 5.5 |
| 1985 | 26 | NE | 16 | — | — | 17 | 148 | 0 | — | 8.7 | — | — | — | 0.7 |
| 1987 | 28 | NE | 12 | — | — | 12 | 81 | 0 | — | 6.8 | — | — | — | 0.2 |
| 1988 | 29 | NE | 6 | — | — | 8 | 106 | 2 | — | 13.3 | — | — | — | 1.1 |
| 1989 | 30 | NE | 16 | — | — | 12 | 101 | 0 | — | 8.4 | — | — | — | 0.4 |
| Career | 102 | — | 117 | 1,233 | 8 | — | 10.5 | — | — | — | 10.8 |
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 22 | NE | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1984 | 25 | NE | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1987 | 28 | NE | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1989 | 30 | NE | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Career | — | 7 | 6 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
Career games and per-game totals are unavailable because the season rows do not establish complete career coverage. Published career totals are preserved.
A strong starter career by KV-H: a well-rounded profile that scores 59 of 100, era-normalized against rec yds/g peers across 8 scored seasons.
Blend 59 × longevity 1 = KV-H 59· confidence 97%
Season-by-season quality (era-relative rec yds/g)
Brandon Bostick
TE
88% match
1981 Draft ClassmatesFull class →