Ricardo McDonald is a career quality starter — a pass rusher whose body of work places McDonald in the top half of all players at the position historically. The Knox model values sustained contribution over flash, and McDonald'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 | Defense | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | |||||
| 1992 | 22–23 | CIN | 16 | — | 97 | 77 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1993 | 23–24 | CIN | 14 | — | 105 | 91 | — | — | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 1994 | 24–25 | CIN | 13 | — | 48 | 31 | — | — | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 1995 | 25–26 | CIN | 16 | — | 63 | 46 | — | — | — | 5.0 | 5.0 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 1996 | 26–27 | CIN | 16 | — | 61 | 47 | — | — | — | 5.0 | 5.0 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 1997 | 27–28 | CIN | 13 | — | 66 | 52 | — | — | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 3 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1998 | 28–29 | CHI | 15 | — | 43 | 28 | — | — | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 1999 | 29–30 | CHI | 16 | — | 52 | 37 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Career | — | 119 | — | 535 | 409 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 14.5 | 17.5 | 1 | 16 | 7 | — | 0 | 0 | |
Career Value · VORP
56 career value over replacement — #1960 all-time of 4,695. 7/season above a replacement-level LB.
Pick #88 (Rd 4) · CIN · 1992 · +19.5 vs expected KV-H
Fan Rating
Rate Ricardo McDonald — All-Time
Explore More
Similar Players
8 seasons · peak 3.8 in 1995
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 · 1995 · +0.3 wins
Latest season · 1999 · −0.1 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.
#531 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 22–23 | CIN | 16 | — | 97 | 77 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.8 |
| 1993 | 23–24 | CIN | 14 | — | 105 | 91 | — | — | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.4 |
| 1994 | 24–25 | CIN | 13 | — | 48 | 31 | — | — | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.3 |
| 1995 | 25–26 | CIN | 16 | — | 63 | 46 | — | — | — | 5.0 | 5.0 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 3.8 |
| 1996 | 26–27 | CIN | 16 | — | 61 | 47 | — | — | — | 5.0 | 5.0 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 3.8 |
| 1997 | 27–28 | CIN | 13 | — | 66 | 52 | — | — | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 |
| 1998 | 28–29 | CHI | 15 | — | 43 | 28 | — | — | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 0.5 |
| 1999 | 29–30 | CHI | 16 | — | 52 | 37 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 119 | 535 | 409 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 14.5 | 17.5 | 1 | 16 | 7 | — | 0 | 0 | 10 |
A strong starter career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 57 of 100, era-normalized against sacks/g peers across 8 scored seasons.
Blend 56.8 × longevity 1 = KV-H 57· confidence 100%
Season-by-season quality (era-relative sacks/g)
Ken Norton
MLB
84% match
1992 Draft ClassmatesFull class →