Top 50 Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins entered the world of Pro Football in 1966 when they joined the AFL. Once the leagues merged, the Dolphins emerged as one of the first elite powers of the conference in the early 70s, something that seemed incomprehensible based on their early struggles.
The Dolphins went to Super Bowl VI, losing to Dallas, but they would then put forth an undefeated season in 1972 and would win Super Bowl VII, which to date is the only time a team has gone an entire year without a loss. The Dolphins repeated as Super Bowl Champions the following year.
That was the last Super Bowl win for the Dolphins, but they did appear in the big game twice in the 1980s.
This list is up to the end of the 2024 season.
Note: Football lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.
The 1983 NFL Draft lives in football lore as the legendary "Year of the Quarterback," a frantic first-round frenzy where five passers—John Elway, Todd Blackledge, Jim Kelly, Tony Eason, and Division II product Ken O'Brien—were swept off the board early. Sitting near the bottom of the round after coming off a Super Bowl appearance, the Miami Dolphins watched in absolute…
Selected in the third round (73rd overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft out of the University of Akron, Jason Taylor entered the professional ranks after earning two First-Team All-MAC selections as a Zip. The Dolphins saw immense raw potential in the 6-foot-6, 244-pound pass-rushing specialist, and he immediately validated their trust. Taylor recorded 5.0 sacks and two forced fumbles as…
When the Miami Dolphins selected Zach Thomas in the fifth round (154th overall) of the 1996 NFL Draft, scouts brushed him off as an undersized middle linebacker out of Texas Tech who lacked the raw length and physical measurables to withstand professional blocking schemes. Standing 5-foot-11, Thomas quickly silenced every skeptic by unleashing an uncanny diagnostic instinct, relentless sideline-to-sideline pursuit,…
Fresh off the landmark 1970 AFL-NFL merger agreement, the Miami Dolphins utilized their high-value first-round pick (fourth overall) in the 1967 Common Draft to land Purdue signal-caller Bob Griese. The calculated move provided the infant franchise with an immediate field general. Throwing for over 2,000 yards in his debut season, the cool-headed rookie captured AFL All-Star recognition in both 1967…
Jim Langer went undrafted in 1970 after a college career at South Dakota State, and after a failed attempt to make the Cleveland Browns, he found a home with the Miami Dolphins. After a pair of non-descript seasons, Langer was about to rise to the top of the food chain of NFL Centers quickly.
After two unremarkable seasons as a backup Guard with the San Diego Chargers, Larry Little was traded to the Miami Dolphins for Mack Lamb. Little was not thrilled as the Dolphins were not particularly good at the time, but that feeling would quickly change as Miami was building something special. As for the Chargers, Lamb never played for them. We…
With the ninth overall pick in the 1990 Draft, the Miami Dolphins chose the hulking Richmond Webb with the purpose of protecting Dan Marino’s left side. The former Texas A&M Aggie did just that.
Dwight Stephenson played mostly on Special Teams in his first two seasons in the NFL after being chosen from Alabama in the second round of the 1980 draft, but by 1982 he was ready to become one of the best Centers in the game.
Larry Csonka was the first Back drafted in 1968, but the first two seasons were a struggle due to poor play and injuries. While the start would not be great, the arrival of Don Shula in 1970 changed all of that.
Looking like a grizzled vet long before he became one, Bob Kuechenberg had a strange start in his NFL career. The product of Notre Dame was taken in the fourth round by the Philadelphia Eagles, but he quit during training camp and played semi-pro for a year. The Dolphins signed him in 1970, and he would find a home in…
Bob Baumhower played the entirety of his pro career with the Miami Dolphins, and he was, without a doubt, one of the greatest defensive players in franchise history.
Jake Scott left the University of Georgia after his sophomore year to play in the Canadian Football League, which was only meant to be for one year until he was eligible for the NFL Draft. After his year with the BC Lions, Scott was chosen by the Miami Dolphins with their seventh round pick in 1970.
Dick Anderson played his entire pro career with the Miami Dolphins, and it did not take long for the Strong Safety to prove his worth after being taken in the third round in 1968.
Dan Marino was a superstar Quarterback, and he would have some high-profile weapons at his disposal, but none were better than Mark Clayton.
Cameron Wake had a good career at Penn State, but he went undrafted in 2005. He received a tryout with the New York Giants but was unable to make the team. Rather than give up, Wake found work in the Canadian Football League with the BC Lions, where he was a two-time All-Star and two-time Most Outstanding Defensive Player in…
Sam Madison arrived as a second round pick from Louisville in 1997, and by the next season, he was their starting Right Cornerback.
After being drafted from Northwestern State in the Second Round in 1982, Mark Duper only saw action in two Games as a rookie, but this would change when Dan Marino emerged as the Dolphins’ Quarterback.
Many in Cleveland were stunned when they traded Wide Receiver, Paul Warfield to the Miami Dolphins after the 1969 season. As a rookie in 1964, he helped Cleveland win the NFL Championship, and he was coming off two straight Pro Bowl appearances. The Browns got the third overall pick in the deal, which they used on Purdue Quarterback, Mike Phipps,…
When Bill Stanfill played at the University of Georgia, he helped the Bulldogs win the Cotton Bowl, and as a Senior he was an All-American and the winner of the Outland Trophy as the top interior lineman in college football. The Miami Dolphins would land him with the 11th Overall Pick in 1969, and Stanfill would be a part of…
