Tim McDonald ranks in the all-time elite tier for defensive backs — a career that places McDonald in the top 10% of all players at the position. The Knox value model assigns McDonald a career score of 70, reflecting sustained impact that most players at the position never approach.
Career Value · VORP
164 career value over replacement — #563 all-time of 4,695. 13.7/season above a replacement-level S.
Pick #34 (Rd 2) · LA · 1987 · +15.2 vs expected KV-H
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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 | |||||
| 1987 | 22–23 | STL | 3 | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 1988 | 23–24 | ARI | 15 | — | 115 | — | — | — | — | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2 | — | 4 | 1 | — | — |
| 1989 | 24–25 | ARI | 16 | — | 155 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | — | 0 | 1 | — | — |
| 1990 | 25–26 | ARI | 16 | — | 114 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 1991 | 26–27 | ARI | 13 | — | 96 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | — | 0 | 1 | — | — |
| 1992 | 27–28 | ARI | 16 | — | 107 | — | — | — | — | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2 | — | 1 | 3 | — | — |
| 1993 | 28–29 | SF | 15 | — | 91 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | — | 0 | 1 | — | — |
| 1994 | 29–30 | SF | 16 | — | 72 | 67 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 1995 | 30–31 | SF | 16 | — | 75 | 61 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 1996 | 31–32 | SF | 16 | — | 98 | 81 | — | — | — | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2 | — | 0 | 1 | — | — |
| 1997 | 32–33 | SF | 15 | — | 62 | 51 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | — | 0 | 3 | — | — |
| 1998 | 33–34 | SF | 16 | — | 78 | 68 | — | — | — | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4 | — | 0 | 2 | — | — |
| 1999 | 34–35 | SF | 16 | — | 61 | 44 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | — | 189 | — | 1,131 | 372 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 9.5 | 15.5 | 40 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 0 | 0 | |
Regular-season all-time ranks
A high-end defensive back defined as much by exceptional availability — almost never missed time as by their on-field impact (top 10% all-time). Coaches and teammates could count on them being available.
Worth 164 points of value above a freely-available replacement safety — top 13% of all 4,695 ranked at the position. 12 of 12 seasons cleared the replacement bar, by +13.7 on average.See board →
Seasons above replacement
12 seasons × ~13.7 surplus ≈ VORP 164
Brian Walker
FS
89% match