MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — As the 2022 NFL Draft begins Thursday night, Miami Dolphins fans aren't likely to be watching very closely.
That's because the Dolphins have traded away their first- and second-round picks and, barring some surprise movement, won't add to their roster through the draft until their compensatory third-round pick (No. 102 overall).
Miami seems content to bolster its roster under first-year head coach Mike McDaniel through free agency, already snagging star wide receiver Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs and three-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Terron Armstead from the New Orleans Saints.
However, as everlasting Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (No. 199 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2000 draft) has proven, there are plenty of hidden gems to be found in the later rounds.
Here is a look at five players who were arguably the greatest acquisitions by the Dolphins outside of the first round of the draft.
Dwight Stephenson
Position: Center
School: Alabama
Pick: No. 48 overall in 1980 draft (second round)
Seasons: 1980-87
Dwight Stephenson was arguably the greatest center to ever wear a Dolphins uniform. The second-round draft pick from Alabama spent eight seasons with the Dolphins and was selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls. Stephenson was also durable, playing in 107 straight games and starting 80 consecutive games until the 1987 players strike ended the streak. The Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee was part of an offensive line that gave up the fewest sacks in the NFL for a record six straight seasons (1982-87). Stephenson returned after the strike and started seven straight games before suffering a knee injury that ultimately ended his NFL career.
Mark Duper
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Northwestern State
Pick: No. 52 overall in 1982 draft (second round)
Seasons: 1982-92
Mark Duper spent all 11 seasons of his NFL career with the Dolphins. The three-time Pro Bowl selection had his best season catching footballs from future Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino in 1984, when he hauled in 71 receptions for 1,306 yards and eight touchdowns. He eclipsed his season-high in receiving yards (1,313) and touchdowns (11) in 1986, despite tallying four fewer catches (67). Duper managed four seasons of 1,000 yards or more — his last in 1991 at the age of 32. Duper was released before the 1992 season as Miami's all-time leader in receiving yards (8,869) — a record he still owns to this day.
Mark Clayton
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Louisville
Pick: No. 223 overall in 1983 draft (eighth round)
Seasons: 1983-92
Mark Clayton is the other half of the "Marks Brothers" wide receiver tandem. The five-time Pro Bowl receiver spent his rookie season as the team's primary punt returner, but by 1984 he was a bona fide star. Clayton spent 10 of his 11 NFL seasons with the Dolphins and twice finished as the NFL's receiving touchdowns leader (18 in 1984 and 14 in 1988). The former eighth-round pick (the draft was shortened to seven rounds in 1994) holds team records for career receptions (550) and touchdowns (81) and owns the single-season record for receiving yards (1,389 in 1984). He was released after the 1992 season and spent the next year with the Green Bay Packers, catching passes from future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, before retiring. Fittingly, Clayton and Duper were inducted into the Dolphins Honor Roll together in 2003.
Zach Thomas
Position: Linebacker
School: Texas Tech
Pick: No. 154 overall in 1996 draft (fifth round)
Seasons: 1996-2007
Zach Thomas spent the first 12 of his 13 NFL seasons with the Dolphins. The fifth-round draft pick from Texas Tech was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and made an immediate impact, beating out veteran Jack Del Rio for the starting middle linebacker job during training camp and finishing his rookie season with 153 combined tackles, three interceptions and two sacks. Thomas twice finished as the NFL's tackles leader after the 2002 and 2006 seasons. By the time Miami released him after the 2007 season, Thomas had started 168 games, recorded 1,640 tackles (1,042 solo), 19.5 sacks, 70 tackles for loss, 16 forced fumbles, 17 interceptions and four touchdowns. Thomas, who has been a finalist for the Hall of Fame each of the last three years, spent the 2008 season in his home state with the Dallas Cowboys before signing a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Dolphins. Only two linebackers currently in the Hall of Fame (Ray Lewis and Junior Seau) have more combined total tackles than Thomas (1,720).
Jason Taylor
Position: Defensive End
School: Akron
Pick: No. 73 in 1997 draft (third round)
Seasons: 1997-2007 | 2009 | 2011
Jason Taylor established himself as one of the premiere NFL defensive ends of his era. Taylor became a starter in his rookie season, recording five sacks and two forced fumbles. During his three stints with the Dolphins, the third-round draft pick not only amassed plenty of tackles, but also plenty of accolades. Taylor was a six-time Pro Bowl selection, the 2002 NFL sacks leader and the 2006 NFL defensive player of the year. After being traded to the Washington Redskins in 2008, Taylor returned to Miami in 2009. He spent the 2010 season playing for the New York Jets — a divisional rival — before signing with the Dolphins again in 2011. Taylor currently holds the NFL record for most career fumbles returned for touchdowns (eight). Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017, Taylor was also inducted into the Dolphins Honor Roll with teammate Thomas in 2012.