Jake Long arrived in Miami as the first overall pick in the 2008 draft out of Michigan, and he stepped straight into the starting left tackle job. He started all 16 games as a rookie and made the Pro Bowl, helping the Dolphins win the AFC East after a 1-15 season the year before. Long was a classic power tackle who excelled in the run game while holding his own in pass protection.

From 2008 through 2011, he earned Pro Bowl honors every year and made first-team All-Pro in 2010. He started 62 of 64 games in that stretch and regularly ranked among the league’s better left tackles. Approximate Value peaked at 13 in 2009 and stayed in double digits through 2010. Those early seasons established him as one of the more reliable anchors on the Dolphins’ offensive line.

Injuries began to cut into the later years in Miami. He missed time with shoulder and back issues in 2011, then tore a triceps in 2012 and landed on injured reserve. After that season, he left as a free agent. He spent the rest of his career bouncing between the Rams, Falcons, and Vikings while dealing with further knee and Achilles problems before retiring.

With the Dolphins, he started 74 games and finished with an Approximate Value of 50 across those five seasons.

Norm Evans arrived in Miami after one season with the Houston Oilers when the expansion Dolphins selected him in the 1966 AFL Expansion Draft. He stepped into the starting right tackle job immediately and held it for the next decade. Evans started 135 of his 138 games and became one of the most durable pieces on the offensive line.

He earned Pro Bowl selections in 1972 and 1974 while anchoring the right side during the Dolphins’ run of three straight Super Bowl appearances. Those years included the perfect 1972 season and back-to-back titles in Super Bowls VII and VIII. Evans was a steady presence in the run-heavy offense that powered those teams, starting every game in the peak championship years.

After the 1975 season, the Seattle Seahawks selected him in the expansion draft, and he played three more years there before retiring. His exit mirrored his arrival, as he became the only player in league history chosen in two different expansion drafts.

With the Dolphins, he started 135 games and collected two Super Bowl rings along with two Pro Bowl nods.

Bryan Cox arrived in Miami as a fifth-round pick out of Western Illinois in 1991 and started right away as a rookie. He played in 13 games that year and recorded 61 tackles and two sacks while the Dolphins finished 8-8. The following season he took a major step forward.

In 1992, he posted 14 sacks, 127 combined tackles, and five forced fumbles, earning first-team All-Pro and his first Pro Bowl nod. Approximate Value for the year was 17. He stayed productive over the next three seasons, making two more Pro Bowls while regularly posting triple-digit tackle totals and adding another 14.5 sacks in that stretch. Cox played with an aggressive, physical style that made him a constant presence against both the run and the pass, and he was known for his intensity and willingness to get after opponents. Those middle years kept him as one of the more reliable pieces in Miami’s front seven, with the Dolphins reaching the playoffs in two of those three seasons. He also forced 12 fumbles and recovered six during his time in Miami, numbers that reflected how often he was around the ball.

After the 1995 season, he left as a free agent and signed with the Chicago Bears. He later played for the Jets and Patriots, where he helped lead them to a Super Bowl XXXVI win.

With the Dolphins, he finished with 31.5 sacks and 529 tackles across 77 starts.

Patrick Surtain arrived in Miami as a second-round pick out of Southern Miss in 1998 and spent most of his first two seasons coming off the bench. By 2000, he had locked down the starting left cornerback job opposite Sam Madison, and the Dolphins’ secondary became one of the league’s more physical units. Surtain specialized in press coverage, jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage to disrupt timing and using his recovery speed to stay in phase once the route broke. He played aggressive man coverage and rarely dropped off, forcing quarterbacks to look elsewhere or risk a contested throw.

From 2002 through 2004, he made the Pro Bowl three straight times and earned first-team All-Pro in 2002. That year he finished with six interceptions, including a 40-yard pick-six against the Broncos, while posting an Approximate Value of 14 and defending 11 passes. In 2003, he led the Dolphins with seven interceptions and still graded out at a high level, finishing second-team All-Pro. Those three seasons alone produced 17 picks and steady production against opposing quarterbacks, as teams often preferred to throw elsewhere.

After the 2004 season, Miami and Surtain could not agree on a new contract. With the team facing salary-cap pressure, the Dolphins allowed him to seek a trade and eventually dealt him to the Kansas City Chiefs for a second-round pick. He played four more years in Kansas City before retiring.

With the Dolphins, he finished with 29 interceptions and 353 tackles.