Here are the 10 greatest NFL draft picks in Miami Dolphins history

The guy you surely expected to see atop this list. There’s a reason his statue is outside Hard Rock Stadium.

3. DE Jason Taylor (Round 3a, 1997)

Jason Taylor accepts his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring at Hard Rock Stadium in 2017. (Allen Eyestone / The Palm Beach Post)

Third-rounder out of Akron. Nobody made a big deal of this pick at the time. “Something of a project,” one report said. He was something, of course. Still giving back today as a Hurricanes assistant coach.

4. LB Zach Thomas (Round 5c, 1996)

Jimmy Johnson immediately made him a starter, warning the kid from Texas he better not let him down. Zach never let the Dolphins down, making it all the way into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Dolphins haven’t had an inside linebacker like him since.

5. C Dwight Stephenson (Round 2, 1980)

Dwight checks in at No. 5 for the same reason J.T. is up there with him on this list. You nab a Hall of Famer this late in the draft, you’ve done something right. Can new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan pull off a similar miracle in 2026?

6. WR Mark Clayton (Round 8, 1983)

ANAHEIM, CA - DECEMBER 14: Wide receiver Mark Clayton #83 of the Miami Dolphins tries to break a tackle by defensive back Jerry Gray #25 of the Los Angeles Rams during a game at Anaheim Stadium on December 14, 1986 in Anaheim, California. The Dolphins won 37-31 in overtime. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)

Shula was once asked if he had an inkling Clayton might turn out to be as good as he did. Shula was blunt about it. “When you take somebody that late in the draft, obviously you don’t have great convictions about him. Otherwise, you would have taken him a lot earlier,” Shula said.

7. S Jake Scott (Round 7, 1970)

He was a character who could drive Shula nuts. He also was MVP of the Super Bowl to complete The Perfect Season. So he drove quarterbacks (like Joe Namath) nuts, too.

8. S Dick Anderson (Round 3b, 1973)

Just like J.T. and Zach go together, so too Scott and Anderson, the best safety tandem in Dolphins history. Each knew what the other was doing.

9. DE Vern Den Herder (Round 9, 1971)

Had four seasons with double-digit sacks. Nobody in any of the previous eight rounds of the draft saw this coming?

10. LB John Offerdahl (Round 2b, 1986)

Worthy successor to Dolphins’ lineage of great middle linebackers following Nick Buoniconti and Zach Thomas (not to mention, he makes outstanding bagels). And if you’re wondering why Buoniconti isn’t on the list, it’s because he was acquired via trade with the Patriots, who lived to regret that deal. Trivia: When the trade went down, Nick wasn’t sure he wanted to report to Miami and even considered retirement.

Other picks you'd be proud to call your own

RB De’Von Achane (Round 3, 2023), WR Anthony Carter* (Round 12, 1983), WR Howard Twilley (Round 12, 1966), CB Xavien Howard (Round 2, 2016), RB Jim Kiick (Round 5, 1968), LB Andrew Van Ginkel (Round 5, 2019), S Reshad Jones (Round 5c, 2010), LB Bryan Cox (Round 5a, 1991), DE Jeff Cross (Round 9, 1988), P Reggie Roby (Round 6, 1983), K Jason Sanders (Round 7, 2018), DE Doug Betters (Round 6, 1978), RB Mercury Morris (Round 3, 1969).

• * Anthony Carter signed with the Michigan Panthers of the USFL before playing for Minnesota and Detroit.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Who are the greatest NFL draft picks in Miami Dolphins' history?