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Looking Back On The Miami Dolphins 1983 Draft 40 Years Later

Originally posted on Dolphins Talk | By Ricky Watson | Last updated 3/31/23

The 2023 NFL Draft will take place between April 27th and April 29th. The Miami Dolphins currently have only four picks, with none in the first round. With so few picks, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier will have to be sure to hit on each pick to get the correct players to have a successful draft.

However, the 1983 Dolphins had ten picks, and Joe, and Mike Robbie, and Don Shula hit the jackpot. The Dolphins’ first pick of the 1983 draft was pick number 27. At the time, the Dolphins starting quarterback was David Woodley. He had just led the team to a Super Bowl. Woodley had a 7-2 record in a shortened nine-game strike season, coming off an 11-3-1 season. Unfortunately, Woodley wasn’t very accurate, ending his career with more interceptions than touchdowns and only a 52.8% completion percentage. So, the Dolphins decided to take a chance on drafting a quarterback in the first round at pick 27.

Shula drafted Dan Marino out of Pittsburgh for the Dolphins’ first-round pick. Marino turned out to be a Hall of Fame quarterback who broke several NFL records. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler, an MVP, and led the Dolphins to a Super Bowl. Marino is considered to be one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time and the greatest quarterback in the Miami Dolphins history.

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In the sixth round of the 1983 NFL Draft, Reggie Roby became the 167th pick for the Dolphins. He became a three-time Pro Bowler and made the 1980s All-Decade Team.

After getting two future Pro Bowlers, another draftee became a Miami Dolphins that eventually became a Pro Bowler. Mark Clayton was a round-eight selection. He was a five-time Pro Bowler. He also led the league in receiving yards in two different seasons.

Interestingly, Miami’s last pick of the draft was a future Pro Bowler as well. Oddly enough, three-time Pro-Bowler Anthony Carter never played for the Miami Dolphins. Carter opted to play in the USFL instead of the NFL. He later played for the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions.

Needless to say, with Marino, Roby, Clayton, and Carter, the Miami Dolphins’ 1983 draft picks were a great draft year. With only four draft picks 40 years later, will Grier have another Hall of Famer or four Pro Bowlers in his picks in 2023?

This article first appeared on Dolphins Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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