6 former Miami Dolphins draft busts that are still in the league
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins have drafted some really bad players over the years but some of them have managed to stick around in the NFL after leaving Miami.
They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and for some of the Miami Dolphins’ previous draft picks, that holds true. Did the Dolphins give up too quickly on these six players or were they looking for starters instead of backups? Regardless, these six players were drafted by the Dolphins and are still in the NFL.
Jamil Douglas
Drafted in the 4th round of the 2015 NFL Draft, the former Dolphins offensive lineman never came close to being a serviceable guard. In his two seasons with the Dolphins, he managed to start six games his rookie year and in 2016 appeared in only one game. He joined the Tennessee Titans where he has started five games in the last two years despite appearing in all but three games. He will compete for a roster spot this year, with the Buffalo Bills.
Billy Turner
When the Miami Dolphins made the choice to draft Billy Turner in the third round of the 2014 draft, it as a big relief for Dolphins fans who were finally seeing the Dolphins attempt to fix their Oline. Instead, Turner was a large disappointment. Inconsistent and when he was on the field, he probably should have been pulled off.
Turner started 12 of his 15 games but that doesn’t mean he was good. In 2016, Adam Gase made a big statement. He released Billy Turner, Jamil Douglas, and Dallas Thomas. Thomas hasn’t played in the NFL since but Turner has become a pretty good guard.
In 2018, Turner had his best season. He started 11 of 16 games and was far more consistent. He left Denver as a free agent and signed with the Packers in 2019 where he has played since. He has started every game for the Packers that he has been healthy for, 30 games.
Dion Jordan
No one says “bust” better than Dion Jordan, well except for Eddie Moore and Jamar Fletcher. When the Miami Dolphins moved up in the 2013 draft to the 3rd overall pick, everyone thought for certain it was for an offensive lineman, which at the time was the biggest need for Miami. Instead, Jeff Ireland went after the top DE in the draft.
The trade-up was a steal costing Miami only a 2nd round pick and Jordan was the consensus top DE in that draft. Jordan suffered through poor play and missed opportunities and then got suspended by the NFL in 2015. He started on the game for the Dolphins before joining the Seahawks in 2017 after being out of football in 2016.
Jordan played with Oakland in 2019 and last year was with the 49ers. He has started only four games his entire career and has only 108 combined tackles. This year he has yet to sign with a team and his NFL run may finally come to an end.
Jamar Taylor
A monumental wasted pick in 2013, Taylor was taken in the 2nd round of the draft and while he managed to start a total of 9 of his 33 games with Miami, he was incredibly inconsistent. He recorded no interceptions and only four passes defended in his 3 seasons.
Taylor was released following the 2015 season and he joined the Browns where he played better starting 19 of 31 games. After splitting the next two seasons with four teams, the Cardinals and Broncos in 2018 and Atlanta and Seattle in 2019, Taylor spent last season with the 49ers. He currently is not attached to a team.
Chad Henne
In 2008, the Miami Dolphins went through major changes with their roster. Bill Parcells took over as the football czar in Miami and Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano would run the team underneath him. His first pick was number one overall and that was used on Jake Long but in round two, Parcells drafted Michigan QB, Chad Henne.
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Fans didn’t like Henne from the start and Henne never really did anything on the field to win them over. He started 21 games in his four-year career with Miami. He appeared in 3 games his rookie season, 14, 15, and 7 in his final three seasons.
When Henne left Miami for Jacksonville following the 2011 season, many believed it would be his last in the league but here we are almost 12 years removed from his drafting and Henne is still in the NFL. He spent five years in Jacksonville and then joined the Kansas City Chiefs the last two years. He will enter training camp as a backup to Patrick Mahomes but he is still working in the NFL.
Ted Ginn, Jr.
No name can be said without a snicker more than Ted Ginn, Jr. and immediately, the whole Ginn family comes to mind. The 9th overall pick of the Dolphins 2007 was a joke from day one. Dolphins fans wanted a quarterback while Cam Cameron and Randy Mueller wanted a kick returner. For the Dolphins, that’s about all he was and while he was electric with the football, he often ran directly to the sidelines to avoid contact.
As a receiver, Ginn posted 1,664 yards in his three seasons with the Dolphins. He caught only 5 touchdowns in that time and didn’t catch more than 56 passes in a single season with Miami.
Ginn was traded to the 49ers after the 2009 season where he spent another three years. While he has bounced around considerably from Carolina to Arizona, New Orleans, and Chicago, his longest stay has never been for more than three seasons at a time.
Ginn is currently a free agent and it is not clear if he will make it past 2021.