Phin Phanatic
FanSided

Miami Dolphins best 4th round draft picks of last 20 drafts

By Brian Miller

ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 21: Tight end Randy McMichael #81 and center Tim Ruddy #61 of the Miami Dolphins talk on the field during the game against the Buffalo Bills on December 21, 2003 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Miami won 20-3. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 21: Tight end Randy McMichael #81 and center Tim Ruddy #61 of the Miami Dolphins talk on the field during the game against the Buffalo Bills on December 21, 2003 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Miami won 20-3. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Miami Dolphins have made some pretty good decisions in the mid-rounds of the draft but some have been a lot better than others.

As we continue our off-season look at the last 20 drafts by the Miami Dolphins we move into the 4th round where Miami has found a few gems and a few really poor decisions.

Dating back to the 2000 NFL Draft, we span the era of Dave Wannstedt, Nick Saban, Cam Cameron/Randy Mueller, Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland, Dennis Hickey, and now Chris Grier. Grier gets a pass because we don’t judge draft picks two years removed unless there is a glaring problem or huge steal. Here are some of the better draft picks made in round four.

2002 – Randy McMichael

McMichael is not remembered as a great 4th round draft pick he is remembered as one of the best tight-ends in Dolphins history. The only downside to McMichael was the fact that the Dolphins let him leave after his contract was up.

McMichael posted 4,539 yards over an 11 year career in the NFL with five of those seasons and 3,096 of those yards coming in Miami. He added 18 touchdowns to his resume with the Dolphins as well.

2007 – Paul Soliai

Soliai turned out to be one of the highlights of the Cam Cameron/Randy Mueller one and done drafts. Soliai started slow but as he gained more experience he developed into a mauling type defensive lineman. He made his most money leaving the Dolphins in free agency and signing a big contract with the Falcons but he spent seven seasons with the Dolphins including a Pro Bowl appearance. In the end, his time in the NFL lasted ten seasons with his final game coming in 2016 with the Panthers. In Miami, he finished with 160 combined tackles.

More from Phin Phanatic

2009 – Brian Hartline

Hartline did a terrific job for the Dolphins and remains one of the best receivers of the last 20 draft classes. He was traded to the Browns in 2015 after spending six years with the Dolphins. He spent one season with the Browns before calling it a career. In his time with Miami, he caught 298 receptions for 4,243 yards and 12 touchdowns all on poor offensive teams.

2012 – Lamar Miller

Miller was a great pick-up in round four and started a trend of mid-round running back success. So much so that it ended up costing Miller his job in Miami. After four seasons with the Dolphins, 2,930 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns, the Dolphins opted to not pay Miller as a free agent and turn to the draft for his replacement, Jay Ajayi. Still, Miller was a very good draft pick for Miami and continues his NFL career in Houston where he was a Pro-Bowl runner in 2018.

2014 – Walt Aikens

The Miami Dolphins will need to make a decision on Aikens after this season. His contract runs through 2019. Over this five year career, Aikens has been stellar on special teams and a valuable depth player at safety and sometimes in the nickel package.

2018 – Kalen Ballage

There isn’t a lot to say about Ballage but it appears that the Dolphins are very high on him and he could replace Kenyan Drake after this season.

Home/Dolphins Draft