The Miami Dolphins have had some special players wear their uniform. Here is the best at each position in franchise history.
Tough times have fallen on the Miami Dolphins over the last two decades after what was a proud time to be a fan in the 1900s. Star players are scarce, and playoff appearances even more so, though both of those things will be subject to change during the upcoming 2022 season.
But the franchise is still a proud one, one that is rich in history both in the win column and in the history books. Their 1972 season remains as the only undefeated season in modern sports history, and they were considered something of a dynasty throughout that decade.
Along the way, there have been some pretty spectacular players to don the aqua and orange. The Dolphins are represented in Canton by 8 Hall of Fame players as well as the winningest coach in NFL history, and there are arguments that there should be even more.
So who are the best of the best? And what would it look like if you created a team by plucking the best Miami Dolphins player from each position in franchise history?
Best quarterback in Miami Dolphins history: Dan Marino
It’s too easy. Low hanging fruit. Not only is he the best quarterback in team history, but he’s also the best player in team history. Even if I had the entire history of the league at my disposal, I’d probably choose Dan Marino to be the starting signal-caller.
He used to be at the top of every important passing list in the record books before the game changed, and mediocre QBs started throwing for 4,800 yards a season. But he’s still at the top of the record books for the Dolphins franchise and will likely stay there forever.
Marino’s quick release, a rocket arm, and fiery passion will never be forgotten. I miss him.
Best Running back in Miami Dolphins history: Ricky Williams & Larry Csonka (tie)
Ricky Williams and Larry Csonka had very similar careers while playing in vastly different eras, and they both make our list in a tie for the best running back in team history. Here are their numbers with the Miami Dolphins compared:
Attempts:
Csonka: 1506
Williams: 1509
Yards:
Csonka: 6,737
Williams: 6,436
Touchdowns:
Csonka: 53
Williams: 48
Mercury Morris, Jim Kiick, and Ronnie Brown have all made their cases for the best running back in franchise history, but Williams and Csonka are in a league of their own.
While their numbers are not untouchable, the only player to have come close after 2010 is Lamar Miller, who still finished with less than half of the total rushing yards that they put up. Unless the Dolphins have a huge organizational shift, don’t count on any regular 1,000-yard rushers to run through Miami.
Choosing one for the top spot on this list is nearly impossible, so we’ll let you decide! It really comes down to which player or era of Dolphins football you prefer the most. As with one or two of the other positions in this experiment, I tend to lean on the side of the more recent, which would make Ricky Williams the best running back in franchise history.
Best WRs in Miami Dolphins history: Mark Clayton, Mark Duper, & Chris Chambers
Mark Clayton
Arguably the best wide receiver in Miami Dolphins’ history, Mark Clayton is WR1 for our all-time team.
He is the franchise leader in career receptions and touchdowns and is second in receiving yards by less than 240. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and led the league in touchdown receptions on two different occasions.
Mark Duper
If Clayton is 1A, then Mark Duper is 1B. Aside from the touchdown ratio, the two have eerily similar statistics and career paths. Both were favorite targets of Dan Marino during the quarterback’s most dominant years, with Duper having the edge in receiving yards for the franchise record.
It is very unlikely that any players will be challenging the franchise numbers of the Marks Brothers, whose names will live at the top of the record books forever.
Chris Chambers
The 3rd wide receiver spot was a more difficult choice, and in the interest of recency, Chris Chambers is the one who gets the nod.
Aside from Nat Moore who last played for the Dolphins in 1986, Chambers is third behind the Marks Brothers in franchise receiving yards and touchdowns. OJ McDuffie would have been the next in line.
Best tight end in Miami Dolphins history: Randy McMichael
Tight end may be one of the weakest positions in Dolphins’ franchise history, but Randy McMichael was no slouch and makes this list fairly easily as the best one of the bunch.
McMichael is the franchise leader at his position in catches and yards, though oddly tied for fourth in the touchdown category. He was an iron man during his time with the Dolphins, playing and starting in all 16 games in each of the first five seasons of his career. McMichael is 16th on the franchise list for most receiving yards and the second-most of any non-wide receiver behind running back Tony Nathan.
His numbers may not last for long. Mike Gesicki is nipping at the heels of McMichael’s statistical marks, and he could be considered the new best tight end in Dolphins’ history as early as 2023. Gesicki is on a one-year contract and is currently 842 yards away from breaking the franchise mark. He may be able to do it this upcoming season, and will certainly take the title if Miami re-signs him to a long-term deal.
Best offensive linemen in Miami Dolphins history: the following
Some of the greatest players to ever come through the Miami Dolphins organization have been offensive linemen. Four times in Dan Marino’s career he was sacked less than 10 times and finished with 10 exactly on two different occasions.
Measuring the importance of offensive linemen is difficult, especially when pinning one up against another. But there won’t be a whole lot of debate on who makes the offensive line Mt. Rushmore for Miami.
LT: Richmond Webb
The protector of Marino’s blindside for 10 seasons (and Jay Fiedler for one), Richmond Webb was arguably the best offensive lineman in team history. Not only did he play one of the most important positions, he excelled in doing so while missing just two games over his first eight seasons. He made seven straight Pro Bowls and was named a First-Team All-Pro twice.
LG: Bob Kuechenberg
Bob Kuechenberg was one of the guys that were around for the glory days of the franchise, and he was a member of the Miami Dolphins for a whopping 14 seasons from 1970 until 1983. His playing time essentially bridged the gap between the expansion franchise (1966) and the Marino days (1984). He was a six-time Pro Bowler.
C: Tim Ruddy
This one may be a bit debatable with Jim Langer and Dwight Stephenson having such great careers, but in this case, recency wins again. Tim Ruddy’s face just reminds me of Dan Marino, and that’s always a good thing.
RG: Larry Little
Larry Little has the highest “approximate value” of any offensive lineman to ever put on a Dolphins uniform. He was a cornerstone at right guard from 1969 until 1980, during a stretch of the most successful years that the franchise has ever seen.
RT: Norm Evans/Vernon Carey
Recency bias strikes again with this one, as Vernon Carey beats out Norm Evans for the right tackle spot. The latter had the longer career and has the higher approximate value, but he last played for the Dolphins in 1975, and it’s my list, and we’re going with Carey.
Best defensive end in Miami Dolphins history: Jason Taylor and Cameron Wake
Jason Taylor
Aside from Marino, Jason Taylor is the greatest player to ever put on a Miami Dolphins jersey. He was the cornerstone of one of the best defensive units in franchise history and has the numbers to show for it. He has the 7th most sacks of any player in NFL history,
131 of his 139.5 coming with the Dolphins. Taylor made the Pro Bowl six times, was a First-Team All-Pro three times, and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2006. (and finished second in voting in 2002)
Cameron Wake
Cameron Wake joined the Miami Dolphins in 2009 after a stellar career in the CFL and continued his dominance in his new league. He would finish his career in the number two spot on the Dolphins’ franchise list for total sacks, nearly 30 more than the guy in third place, and enough to make this an easy decision on who to put across the line from Taylor.
While it feels that Wake never got the proper recognition that he deserved, he still qualified for five Pro Bowls in his 10 years with the Dolphins.
Side note: Could you imagine a defense with Jason Taylor coming off of one edge and Cameron Wake from the other? It is too bad that they had to play against Tom Brady at different points in their careers.
Best defensive tackles in Miami Dolphins history: Tim Bowens and Randy Starks
Tim Bowens:
Tim Bowens won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 1994 and continued that dominance throughout his 11-year career with the Dolphins. He was a run-stopping force on Miami’s defensive line season after season and was about as reliable as they come.
Bowens played in 142 of a possible 144 games to begin his career and was named to two Pro Bowls. While not known for being a speedy pass rusher, he was also able to accumulate 22 sacks in his time with the Dolphins while qualifying for two Pro Bowls.
Randy Starks:
Randy Starks is one of the more underappreciated Dolphins players in recent memory. He missed just one game in seven years in Miami and helped solidify the interior defensive line through different schemes and teammate combinations. He finished with 30 sacks and 66 QB hits and added an unusually high 4 interceptions. Starks even made the Pro Bowl twice when no one was looking.
Choosing Starks for a spot on this list was yet another recency pick, as he and Manny Fernandez had very similar careers. Fernandez played from 1968 until 1975.
Best linebacker in Miami Dolphins history: Zach Thomas, Kim Bokamper, John Offerdahl
Zach Thomas:
Thank goodness for Zach Thomas, or the Dolphins would have a pretty abysmal track record when it comes to linebackers. The product of Texas Tech was thought of to be too undersized for his position, but he ended up being one of the best linebackers that the game has ever seen.
Thomas is 5th on the NFL’s all-time list for most tackles, with more than Junior Seau, Brian Urlacher, and Ronde Barber. He finished his career with more sacks than Mike Singletary, Derrick Brooks, and Dick Butkus. More First-Team All-Pro appearances than Kevin Greene or Andre Tippett.
All of those guys are in the Hall of Fame. Zach Thomas is not. That needs to change.
Kim Bokamper:
Kim Bokamper played more games in a Dolphins uniform than any other linebacker aside from Thomas, and his longevity is a big reason for his spot on the list. He had 40 sacks in his career and made the Pro Bowl in 1979. Nick Buoniconti was considered for this spot, but his best years came as a member of the Boston Patriots.
John Offerdahl:
There is no one that really stands out for the third and final linebacker spot. AJ Duhe? Brian Cox? I went with John Offerdahl because of his five Pro Bowl appearances and very surprising First Team All-Pro selection in 1990.
Best defensive backs in Miami Dolphins history: Sam Madison, Pat Surtain, Xavien Howard, & Dick Anderson
Sam Madison & Pat Surtain:
If there is any duo that is more 1A and 1B when it comes to positional hierarchy in Miami Dolphins history than the Marks Brothers, it is the cornerback duo of Sam Madison and Pat Surtain.
Playing a majority of their careers opposite one another, they arrived in Miami in consecutive seasons in the late 90s and were a part of one of the most feared defenses in the league in the early 00s. While many consider Madison to be the slight favorite in comparing the two, Surtain has the accolades as well as the statistics to make his case as the best cornerback in team history.
They are both back with the organization in 2022, as defensive backs coaches under new head coach Mike McDaniel.
Xavien Howard:
While many believe Madison or Surtain to be the best in franchise history, there are those that can make a legitimate argument for Xavien Howard being the one who gets to wear the crown.
Howard has been the Dolphins’ most important player over the last few years, intercepting more passes than anyone else in the league and changing the flow of games with his disruptive coverage. If he continues his dominance for a few more seasons, he could unseat his coaches for the top spot. As of the start of the 2022 season, he is two interceptions behind Surtain’s 29 and four behind Madison’s 31.
Dick Anderson:
Easily the oldest player in this collection, Dick Anderson doesn’t come short on the accolades. He had 34 interceptions in 9 seasons and was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 1973. Anderson played in 98 straight games to begin his career before being hampered by injuries later on.
Best special teamers in Miami Dolphins history: Olindo Mare, Brandon Fields, & Wes Welker
Olindo Mare:
Garo Yepremian might be a more recognizable name (to your grandfather), and Pete Stoyanovich stole a lot of our hearts in the early 90s. But it is Olindo Mare who holds all of the team’s kicking and scoring records. His 1,048 points are 218 more than Yepremian in second place, and he has more field goals made and a better percentage than the other two.
There was generational roster change in Miami from 1997-2006, but Olindo Mare was the one constant that we could count on.
Brandon Fields:
There aren’t a whole lot of measurables when evaluating the impact of punters on a franchise, and I’m going to feel bad for disrespecting the great Reggie Roby on this one.
But the numbers say that Brandon Fields is the best punter in Miami Dolphins history. He had more punt attempts than anyone in the franchise aside from some guy named Larry Seiple and still kicked for the most yards. His 46.8 yards per punt is the highest mark on the team.
Wes Welker (Returner):
Perhaps we should give Ted Ginn Jr. his flowers here, and even pay respects to Jakeem Grant’s franchise-leading five total return touchdowns. But in looking at the sheer number of both kickoff and punt return yards, Wes Welker is the outright leader for the Dolphins.
He only played in Miami for three seasons, but that was enough to amass 3,756 yards on kickoffs and another 1,232 on punts, first and second in franchise history, respectively. He even kicked off three times and attempted (and made) both a field goal and an extra point. Not sure what happened in his career after that.