Twenty years and Miami Dolphins still search for the next Dan Marino

Dan Marino was not only one of the greatest Miami Dolphins of all-time, he was also one of the greatest players the NFL has ever seen, period.

The Miami Dolphins have been trying to replace him, to no avail, since his retirement in 2000. Today, we look back to see the Dolphins first round history since Marino left and find out if there were truly ever any options for them.

2000

In the 2000 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins did not have a 1st round pick. They had traded it away in 1998 to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for the 2nd round pick that resulted in CB Patrick Surtain dawning the aqua and orange. The only QB available in the 2000 NFL Draft’s 1st round was Chad Pennington (taken 18th overall) and, while he was a solid quarterback, he certainly was no Marino replacement. Though, he did help lead us to the postseason back in 2008 where he melted and threw a pick six to Ed Reed en route to a 27-9 loss to the Ravens in the Wild Card round.

2001

The Dolphins possessed the 26th pick in 2001 and took CB Jamar Fletcher out of Wisconsin. That pick didn’t work out too well considering he only lasted 3 seasons with the team. As far as available quarterbacks, the only first rounder was Michael Vick who went 1st overall to the Atlanta Falcons. One quarterback the Dolphins could have reached for was Drew Brees, who was taken 32nd overall by the then San Diego Chargers. The early goings of his career wasn’t too great and, as it turns out, Miami had another chance to get him, back when Nick Saban was the coach, in March of 2006 and passed on him for Daunte Culpepper who only started 4 games for them.