Best draft pick from rounds 1-7 in Miami Dolphins history

Best Miami Dolphins draft picks, Round 3: Jason Taylor

Another no-brainer on our list, Jason Taylor is easily the best player that the Dolphins have selected in the third round.

A prospect out of Akron, Taylor was scouted as being generally unfit to play defensive end. He was tall and lanky, figured to get pushed around by bigger, veteran offensive linemen in the NFL.

Jimmy Johnson saw things differently. He selected Taylor with in the 3rd round (73rd overall) of the 1997 Draft, and Miami reaped the benefits for years to come.

Taylor was an anchor of the defense that was dominant in the early 2000s, and is one of the most decorated players in team history. He was a 6-time Pro Bowler, earned 3 first team All-NFL honors, and was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2006. His 139.5 sacks remains the 7th most of all time on the official league list.

Taylor was an icon, becoming a fan favorite and one of the legends in Dolphins history. He along with Zach Thomas, Sam Madison, and Patrick Surtain helped aid in the transition for the team in the post-Marino era, a time that many Dolphins fans remember fondly as the last time the team was consistently relevant and competitive.

He is a Hall of Fame inductee, and his number 99 is retired by the Dolphins. We forget about his year with the Redskins, and he definitely never played for the Jets.