Best draft picks in Miami Dolphins history

Stacker compiled a list of the best draft picks in Miami Dolphins history using career Weighted Approximate Value (wAV), a metric developed by Pro-Football-Reference.com to estimate career impact. The ranking also lists individual accolades such as Pro Bowl selections, First-Team All-Pro honors, and total years as a starter. Players were assigned to their originally drafted teams, excluding any draft-day trades. Data is as of April 2026.

#10. Sam Madison (1997, Round 2, Pick 44)
- Position: DB
- Career wAV: 86
- Pro Bowls: 4
- First-Team All-Pro: 2
- Games Played: 173
- Seasons as Starter: 10

#9. Jake Scott (1970, Round 7, Pick 159)
- Position: DB
- Career wAV: 88
- Pro Bowls: 5
- First-Team All-Pro: 2
- Games Played: 126
- Seasons as Starter: 9

#8. Joe Theismann (1971, Round 4, Pick 99)
- Position: QB
- Career wAV: 89
- Pro Bowls: 2
- First-Team All-Pro: 1
- Games Played: 167
- Seasons as Starter: 8

#7. Troy Vincent (1992, Round 1, Pick 7)
- Position: DB
- Career wAV: 90
- Pro Bowls: 5
- First-Team All-Pro: 1
- Games Played: 207
- Seasons as Starter: 13

#6. Ryan Tannehill (2012, Round 1, Pick 8)
- Position: QB
- Career wAV: 91
- Pro Bowls: 1
- First-Team All-Pro: 0
- Games Played: 155
- Seasons as Starter: 10

#5. Richmond Webb (1990, Round 1, Pick 9)
- Position: T
- Career wAV: 102
- Pro Bowls: 7
- First-Team All-Pro: 2
- Games Played: 184
- Seasons as Starter: 12

#4. Bob Griese (1967, Round 1, Pick 4)
- Position: QB
- Career wAV: 104
- Pro Bowls: 8
- First-Team All-Pro: 2
- Games Played: 161
- Seasons as Starter: 12

#3. Zach Thomas (1996, Round 5, Pick 154)
- Position: LB
- Career wAV: 115
- Pro Bowls: 7
- First-Team All-Pro: 5
- Games Played: 184
- Seasons as Starter: 12

#2. Jason Taylor (1997, Round 3, Pick 73)
- Position: DE
- Career wAV: 118
- Pro Bowls: 6
- First-Team All-Pro: 3
- Games Played: 233
- Seasons as Starter: 12

#1. Dan Marino (1983, Round 1, Pick 27)
- Position: QB
- Career wAV: 145
- Pro Bowls: 9
- First-Team All-Pro: 3
- Games Played: 242
- Seasons as Starter: 16