Top 10 Miami Dolphins of All-Time

The Dolphins have had some of the NFL’s most legendary seasons, particularly their undefeated 1972 campaign. Now let’s look at the ten best talents in team history. 

10. Cameron Wake, OLB, 2009-2018

Getting the Dolphins top-ten started in linebacker Cameron Wake, a top linebacker and edge rusher in the 2010’s. Wake moved around, spending time as both an outside linebacker and defensive end for the Dolphins. He totaled 98 sacks, 360 tackles, 97 tackles-for-loss, and 224 QB hits, the most in team history. His ability to get to the quarterback was among the best in Dolphins history. 

Wake was a five-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro. In 2016, he finished second in Comeback Player of the Year Voting, when he put together 11.5 sacks and 24 QB hits after missing nine games the previous season due to injury. Wake was also a turnover machine, forcing 22 fumbles, though he only recovered two. 

After ten years in Miami, he spent his final season in Tennessee before retiring. 

9. Mark Clayton, WR, 1983-1992

Clayton was a favorite target of star QB Dan Marino. He leads the Dolphins all-time with 81 touchdowns and 550 receptions, and is second all-time with 8,643 yards. Alongside fellow star wideout Mark Duper, he was a key piece on the 1980’s Dolphins squads that saw the postseason six times. 

He lead the league in touchdowns twice, with 18 in 1984, and 14 in 1988. He finished his career as a five-time Pro Bowler, and is a member of the Dolphins Honor Roll. 

8. Larry Csonka, FB, 1968-1974, 1979

The Dolphins are one of the only teams whose leading rusher is not a running back…it’s a fullback, and his name is Larry Csonka. Even crazier is that he did in only eight seasons. Csonka spent seven years in Miami, before leaving them to play three years in New York, then returned for one more year in 1979. 

He compiled 6,737 rushing yards and 54 rushing TDs as a Dolphin, while also tacking on 688 receiving yards and four recieving touchdowns. He averaged 63.6 yards-per-game and 4.5 yards-per-play with Miami. 

Csonka was a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, but the highlight of his career was his third-place MVP finish in 1972 when he was a key piece of the undefeated Dolphins team that won the Super Bowl. 

The two-time Super Bowl champion was inducted into the NFL Hall-of-Fame. 

7. Jim Langer, C, 1970-1979

One of the earliest Hall-of-Famers in Dolphins history, Jim Langer was a steady presence as the team's starting center for a decade. 

From 1974-1978, Langers was an All-Pro and Pro Bowler each year, giving him an impressive run as the top center in the NFL. Before that, he was the starting center of the undefeated 1972 squad that would go on to win the Super Bowl, and won a second Super Bowl the following season. 

He accumulated an Approximate Value of 105 throughout his ten years in Miami, making him the eighth most valuable player in team history. 

6. Doug Betters, DE, 1978-1987

Though his career numbers might not look spectacular, Doug Betters incredible peak during the 1983 season was enough to earn him a place on this list. 

The defensive end came out of nowhere to win the 1983 Defensive Player of the Year Award. That year he notched 16 sacks, recovered four fumbles, and accumulated an approximate value score of 20, which led the league. 

Despite his amazing 1983 season, in which he was also a first-team All Pro, Betters finished his career with just one Pro Bowl. And despite starting 11 playoff games across seven seasons, he never came away with a ring. 

Still, Betters finished his ten-year career with a respectable 64.5 sacks and an AV of 71. He finished with double-digit sacks twice. 

5. Larry Little, RG, 1969-1980

If Jim Langer was the leader of the 1970’s Dolphins O-Line, Larry Little was the glue that held it together. Little came to Miami in 1969 after spending two years in San Diego. He wound up becoming a five-time Pro Bowler and seven-time All-Pro (five-time first teamer) who would even receive MVP votes during the Dolphin's historic 1972 season. 

He won two championships with Miami, accumulated 128 AV, and become a member of the NFL Hall-of-Fame. 

4. Bob Griese, QB, 1967-1980

Bob Griese spent 14 years as the QB for the Dolphins and had a very up-and-down career. At his peak, he was an MVP candidate and Super Bowl champion, but he never put up massive numbers that put him in line with other all-time great Quarterbacks. 

Griese was a first-team All-Pro twice, in 1971 and 1977. In both of those years, he received MVP votes, finishing fourth in ‘71 and runner-up in ‘77. He also went 5-0 as a starter during the undefeated ‘72 campaign and followed it up by going 12-1 in 1973 and leading the Dolphins to a Super Bowl title. 

In his career he finished with a record of 92-56-3, completing 56.2% of his throws for 25,092 yards and 192 touchdowns. However, he also tossed 172 interceptions. Ultimately he finished with a career passer rating of 77.1. 

3. Zach Thomas, MLB, 1996-2007

Zach Thomas was a star, who maintained a high level of play well into his thirties. He spent twelve years with the Dolphins, where he was a seven-time Pro Bowler and a seven-time All-Pro (five-time first-team). 

He was a tackle machine, who racked up over 100 tackles ten times in his career, including leading the league in 2002 and 2006. His 1,042 tackles lead Miami all-time, as do his 598 assists. His 70 tackles-for-loss rank third, and his four pick-sixes also lead the team all-time. He finished his career with 17 interceptions, the most of any Dolphins linebacker, making him an impressive dual-threat linebacker who could both cover and stop the run. 

Thomas finished his career with the Cowboys, but will always be remembered as one of the Dolphins’ greats. He is a member of the Hall-of-Fame and Dolphins Honor Roll. 

2. Jason Taylor, DE, 1997-2007, 2009, 2011

The Dolphin's all-time leading sack leader, Jason Taylor was a problem for opposing quarterbacks. He finished his impressive career with 131 sacks, and 137 tackles-for-loss, both of which lead Miami history. 

Taylor is also Miami’s all-time defensive scoring leader. The edge rusher impressively managed eight interceptions and returned three of them for touchdowns. He also returned an NFL record six fumbles for touchdowns, which gave him nine total defensive TDs in his career. Not only that, but he is also the only Dolphin to record two safeties. His 43 forced fumbles lead the Dolphins all-time, as do his 27 fumbles recovered. 

Taylor was a six-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro, and won Defensive Player of the Year in 2006. He led the league in sacks in 2002, and led the league in forced fumbles in 2006.Playing alongside his brother-in-law Zach Thomas, the pair made up one of the best defensive duos of all-time. Taylor is a member of the Hall-of-Fame. 

1. Dan Marino, QB, 1983-1999

Of course, Dan the Man was going to be the top player on this list. 

Hall-of-Famer, MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, six-time All-Pro, nine-time Pro Bowler. Dan Marino secured tremendous accolades throughout his seventeen-year career with the Dolphins. The only thing he didn’t win was a Super Bowl. 

Marino was statistically one of the best quarterbacks of all-time. His 61,361 passing yards rank eighth all-time. His 420 touchdowns rank seventh. 

In his historic 1984 season, he topped 5,000 yards and tossed 48 touchdown passes. He would surpass 40 again in 1986, and was on pace at a young age to be the best quarterback of all time. 

Despite a mediocre final five seasons, Marino still managed a record of 147-93, giving him the most QB wins in Dolphins history. However, his 8-10 playoff record will always be a low point in his otherwise spectacular career.