Miami Dolphins lack of success in round three of NFL Draft

The Miami Dolphins have one pick in the third round of this years draft provided they don’t trade out or trade back in. Over the last 17 years the third round has not been kind to the Dolphins.

With the NFL Draft set to kick-off later this month in Dallas, Tx. the Dolphins will need to find better options in the third round as day two closes. Miami does not have a great success rate with third round draft picks over the last decade or so.

The Dolphins have done well enough to find contributors in the third round but finding bona-fide starters who can change a game around have been much harder to find. The best third draft pick in team history is obviously Jason Taylor who went on to have a Hall of Fame career but since, it has been hit or miss.

In 2000, where our third round journey starts, Miami selected DB Ben Kelly who lasted two years in the NFL. Miami found better success with Morlon Greenwood a year later. Greenwood became a starter and lasted eight NFL seasons, four with the Dolphins.

Miami also found success with running back Travis Minor who contributed during his six seasons as a Dolphin. Minor was never a featured back but he totaled eight touchdowns over his career with Miami. A back-up support to other featured backs.

In 2002 Miami drafted offensive lineman Seth McKinney. McKinney spent four years in Miami and started 34 of 61 games. Largely inconsistent, McKinney never was able to take the next step and was out of the league three years after leaving Miami.

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Miami had two third round picks in 2003 and spent both on offensive lineman. Dave Wannstedt’s offensive line was not good and the addition of Taylor Whitley and Wade Smith was supposed to change that. A big investment in fixing the offensive line did not pay off.

Whitley lasted one season in Miami and spent one more with Denver before leaving the NFL. Smith lasted two seasons with the Dolphins before leaving for the Jets, Chiefs, Texans, and Eagles. His career lasted 11 NFL seasons but he started only 98 of the 143 games he appeared in. In Miami he started 18 of 22 games.

Miami drafted Channing Crowder in 2005 and Crowder spent his entire NFL career in Miami. He started every game that he was healthy but knee issues prematurely ended an otherwise solid career that lasted six seasons.

In 2006 Miami drafted Derek Hagan. The wide-receiver was supposed to be a future star for the Dolphins but he lasted only two and a half seasons in Miami. Hagan carved out a 10 year NFL career with five different teams but never became the receiver many had thought he would.

2007 saw the Dolphins draft running back Lorenzo Booker. Booker was a highly rated runner out of Florida State entering the draft but his lack of production on the field had him gone a year after being drafted. He played only three more seasons.