The Miami Dolphins have been drafting players since 1966. Here’s a look at the best draft picks by position for the Dolphins:
OFFENSE
Quarterback: Dan Marino, first round, 1983, Pittsburgh. The Dolphins came up golden within the famed quarterback class of 1983, which is arguably the best ever at that position. Marino holds nearly all of Miami’s significant passing records from his Hall of Fame career. The only thing missing is a championship.
Running back: Larry Csonka, first round, 1968, Syracuse. The Dolphins’ all-time leading rusher was one of the first building blocks to their two title runs in the 1970s. Csonka also is one of three Miami players to have his number (No. 39) retired by the team.
Wide receiver: Mark Clayton, eighth round, 1983, Louisville. This is a tough choice between Clayton and teammate Mark Duper. Both were great, but considering Clayton was taken six rounds lower than Duper, who was a second-round pick in 1982, Clayton gets the nod in terms of value.
Tight end: Randy McMichael, fourth round, 2002, Georgia. Although not a star player, McMichael had a solid 11-year career. He played his first six seasons with the Dolphins.
Tackle: Richmond Webb, first round, 1990, Texas A&M. No debate here. Webb had everything you wanted in an offensive tackle: good technique, good feet and durable. Webb started 167 games over 13 NFL seasons, which included seven Pro Bowls.
Guard: Keith Sims, second round, 1990, Iowa State. The Dolphins drafted Sims in the same draft as Webb. Miami built its offensive line for nearly a decade around these two picks. Sims was a three-time Pro Bowler.
Center: Dwight Stephenson, second round, 1980, Alabama. Stephenson’s career was cut short to just eight seasons. But that doesn’t detract the Hall of Famer from being one of the greatest to ever play his position. Stephenson made five consecutive Pro Bowls during his prime.
DEFENSE
End: Jason Taylor, third round, 1997, Akron. Taylor is a 2017 Hall of Fame inductee who helped redefine the defensive end position in the 1990s and 2000s. Taylor has 139.5 career sacks.
Tackle: Tim Bowens, first round, 1994, Mississippi. Bowens was one of the underrated defensive tackles of his generation. He helped anchor Miami’s talented defenses in the 1990s and 2000s.
Linebacker: Zach Thomas, fifth round, 1996, Texas Tech. There may have been a few better linebackers in Dolphins history. However, Thomas arrived in Miami as an undersized fifth-round pick without much expectations. He turned out to be one of the team’s all-time best defensive players.
Cornerback: Sam Madison, second round, 1998, Louisville. Madison was a four-time Pro Bowler who finished with 38 career interceptions. Madison teamed with Patrick Surtain to make up one of the league’s best cornerback tandems for several years.
Safety: Jake Scott, seventh round, 1970, Georgia. A strong case also can be made for former Dolphins safety Dick Anderson, who was a third-round pick in 1968. But Scott was taken four rounds lower and finished with 49 career interceptions, 16 more than Anderson.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker: Uwe Von Schamann, seventh round, 1979, Oklahoma. As for the comedic portion of this post, kicker was slim pickings. Most of Miami’s better kickers were undrafted or signed from other teams. Von Schamann made 101 field goals over six seasons.
Punter: Reggie Roby, sixth round, 1983, Iowa. This draft is mostly known as the "Marino draft." But Miami also got arguably its best punter in franchise history the same year in the sixth round. Roby made two Pro Bowls with the Dolphins and three total.