Ranking the 10 Best Dolphins Fourth-Round Picks

The Miami Dolphins have had their share of hits and misses in the draft through the years, which makes them just like any other franchise around the NFL.

The Dolphins, however, have not done particularly well in the fourth round when it comes to finding impact players. Since the start of the "common draft" in 1967, the Dolphins have made 54 third-round selections, starting with defensive tackle Bob Greenlee in 1967 all the way to Jaylen Wright in 204.

Here is a ranking of the top 10 fourth-round picks, judged not solely on Dolphins career but rather what kind of NFL player the prospect became.

THE TOP 10 DOLPHINS FOURTH-ROUND PICKS

1. CB Curtis Johnson, 1970, 81st

While he never got the accolades of more popular members of the No-Name Defense, Johnson was a very good cornerback on the Dolphins' Super Bowl-winning teams under Don Shula.

2. DT Paul Soliai, 2007, 108th overall

The big defensive lineman out of Utah looked like he was going to flop early in his career, but he engineered a dramatic turnaround that led to a Pro Bowl invitation as he became a key member of the Miami defense.

3. WR Brian Hartline, 2009, 108th overall

Hartline was the second wide receiver taken by the Dolphins in the 2009 after they first doubled down on cornerbacks, and he clearly was the best choice. Hartline, how the head coach at UCF, led the Dolphins in receiving and topped the 1,000-yard mark twice.

4. RB Lamar Miller, 2012, 97th overall

One of the rare success stories with the Dolphins taking a player from the University of Miami, Miller had a nice run (pun intended) as the starting running back, highlighted by an 1,100-yard rushing season that featured a franchise-record 97-yard touchdown.

5. QB Joe Theismann, 1971, 99th overall

Yes, that Joe Theismann. The Dolphins get points here for the idea of drafting Theismann while he was playing in the Canadian Football League, though they lose points for having traded him to Washington.

6. OL Jeff Dellenbach, 1985, 111th overall

Long before Jesse Davis and Liam Eichenberg lined up pretty everywhere on the offensive line, there was Dellenbach who proved the ultimate chess piece for Don Shula. While he never made the Pro Bowl, Dellenbach was very valuable.

7. TE Randy McMichael, 2002, 114th overall

Selected with a fourth-round pick swapped in the Ricky Williams trade, McMichael gave the Dolphins some of the best tight end play they've ever had.

8. CB Gerald Small, 1978, 93rd overall

A five-year starter at cornerback, Small had four seasons with four or more interceptions for the Dolphins.

9.T Eric Laakso, 1978, 106th overall

After beginning his NFL career as a backup, Laakso started all but two games from 1980-83, including all four playoff games when the Dolphins made it to Super Bowl XVII.

10. QB Scott Mitchell, 1990, 93rd overall

Mitchell parlayed his good work in place of Dan Marino in the 1993 season into a big free agent contract with the Detroit Lions, and while his play as a starter in Detroit was spotty, it's still pretty good work for a fourth-round selection.

Honorable mention: RB Troy Stradford, 1987; FB Stanley Pritchett, 1996; DT Walt Aikens, 2014

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