Neil Smith ranks in the all-time elite tier for pass rushers — a career that places Smith in the top 3% of all players at the position. The Knox value model assigns Smith a career score of 85, 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 | Defense | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | |||||
| 1988 | 22 | KC | 13 | — | 53 | — | — | — | — | 2.5 | 2.5 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | — |
| 1989 | 23 | KC | 15 | — | 67 | — | — | — | — | 6.5 | 6.5 | 0 | — | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 1990 | 24 | KC | 16 | — | 68 | — | — | — | — | 9.5 | 9.5 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | — | — |
| 1991 | 25 | KC | 16 | — | 65 | — | — | — | — | 8.0 | 8.0 | 0 | — | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 1992 | 26 | KC | 16 | — | 77 | — | — | — | — | 14.5 | 14.5 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — |
| 1993 | 27 | KC | 16 | — | 55 | — | — | — | — | 15.0 | 15.0 | 1 | — | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 1994 | 28 | KC | 14 | — | 46 | 42 | — | — | — | 11.5 | 11.5 | 1 | — | 5 | 1 | — | — |
| 1995 | 29 | KC | 16 | — | 55 | 42 | — | — | — | 12.0 | 12.0 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | — | — |
| 1996 | 30 | KC | 16 | — | 41 | 34 | — | — | — | 6.0 | 6.0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | — |
| 1997 | 31 | DEN | 14 | — | 34 | 29 | — | — | — | 8.5 | 8.5 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | — |
| 1998 | 32 | DEN | 14 | — | 27 | 20 | — | — | — | 4.0 | 4.0 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | — | — |
| 1999 | 33 | DEN | 14 | — | 29 | 23 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6.5 | 20.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 34 | SD | 3 | — | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Career | — | 183 | — | 619 | 192 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 104.5 | 119.5 | 4 | 2 | 30 | 12 | 0 | 0 | |
Career Value · VORP
281 career value over replacement — #164 all-time of 4,695. 23.4/season above a replacement-level EDGE.
Pick #2 (Rd 1) · KC · 1988 · +21.7 vs expected KV-H
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12 seasons · peak 11.2 in 1993
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.
5.3 career wins over 12 seasons · 1 win = 13.08 VAL
Best season · 1993 · +0.9 wins
Latest season · 1999 · +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.
#53 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 22 | KC | 13 | — | 53 | — | — | — | — | 2.5 | 2.5 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 |
| 1989 | 23 | KC | 15 | — | 67 | — | — | — | — | 6.5 | 6.5 | 0 | — | 4 | 2 | — | — | 3.1 |
| 1990 | 24 | KC | 16 | — | 68 | — | — | — | — | 9.5 | 9.5 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | 5.9 |
| 1991 | 25 | KC | 16 | — | 65 | — | — | — | — | 8.0 | 8.0 | 0 | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | 5.3 |
| 1992 | 26 | KC | 16 | — | 77 | — | — | — | — | 14.5 | 14.5 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | 9.1 |
| 1993 | 27 | KC | 16 | — | 55 | — | — | — | — | 15.0 | 15.0 | 1 | — | 4 | 3 | — | — | 11.2 |
| 1994 | 28 | KC | 14 | — | 46 | 42 | — | — | — | 11.5 | 11.5 | 1 | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | 9.9 |
| 1995 | 29 | KC | 16 | — | 55 | 42 | — | — | — | 12.0 | 12.0 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | 8.5 |
| 1996 | 30 | KC | 16 | — | 41 | 34 | — | — | — | 6.0 | 6.0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3.6 |
| 1997 | 31 | DEN | 14 | — | 34 | 29 | — | — | — | 8.5 | 8.5 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 5 |
| 1998 | 32 | DEN | 14 | — | 27 | 20 | — | — | — | 4.0 | 4.0 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3.4 |
| 1999 | 33 | DEN | 14 | — | 29 | 23 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6.5 | 20.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2.8 |
| 2000 | 34 | SD | 3 | — | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Career | 183 | 619 | 192 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 104.5 | 119.5 | 4 | 2 | 30 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 68.8 |
A all-time great career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 85 of 100, era-normalized against sacks/g peers across 12 scored seasons.
Blend 82.2 × longevity 1 = KV-H 85· confidence 100%
Season-by-season quality (era-relative sacks/g)
Charles Haley
DE
88% match
1988 Draft ClassmatesFull class →