Football

The Dolphins' All-Time Draft Steal Team: Defense

By Alain Poupart Sports Illustrated

Updated April 21, 2026 9:43 AM

While the focus with the Miami Dolphins in the 2026 NFL draft this week figures to be on first two days by virtue of their seven picks in the first three rounds, they'll still have the ability to add some hidden gems in the final four rounds.

The question is whether they can come up with steals such as recent Hall of Fame inductee Zach Thomas in the fifth round like they did in 1996 or maybe a wide receiver who winds up having a career like Mark Clayton after they selected him in the eighth round in 1983.

Here is our All-Dolphins Draft Steal Team, with the selections based on production versus draft slot. We continue with the defense,.

DOLPHINS ALL-TIME DRAFT STEAL DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE END

First team: Doug Betters, 1978, Round 6; Jason Taylor, 1997, Round 3

Second team: Jeff Cross, 1988, Round 9; Vern Den Herder, 1971. Round 9

Breakdown: Taylor was a no-brainer as a third-round Hall of Fame selection, but it was really a close call for the second spot. In the end, we gave Betters the nod for being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1983.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

First team: Bob Baumhower, 1977, Round 2; Paul Soliai, 2007, Round 4

Second team: Davon Godchaux, 2017, Round 5; T.J. Turner, 1986, Round 3

Breakdown: This is not a position that produced a lot of late-round finds for the Dolphins and we simply couldn't ignore just how good Baumhower became to put him on the team even as a second-round selection.

LINEBACKER

First team: Zach Thomas, 1996, Round 5; Bryan Cox, 1991, Round 5; Mike Kolen, 1970, Round 12

Second team: Steve Towle, 1975, Round 6; Mark Brown, 1983, Round 9; Andrew Van Ginkel, 2019, Round 5

Breakdown: Thomas not only is the best fifth-round pick in Dolphins history, he's among the best in NFL history as one of three Hall of Famers selected in that round in the common draft (along with Mike Webster and Kevin Greene). Kolen becoming a starter for the Super Bowl defenses of the 1970s was quite a feat.

CORNERBACK

First team: J.B. Brown, 1989, Round 12; William Judson, 1982, Round 9

Second team: Curtis Johnson, 1970, Round 4; Sam Madison, 1997, Round 2

Breakdown: We focused on value here with very late-round picks, which is why the choices were Brown and Judson, and we could flip a coin to decide between Madison and fellow second-round selections Patrick Surtain and Xavien Howard, who all belong in the Fab Four of all-time Dolphins cornerbacks (along with Brent Grimes) from this vantage point.

SAFETY

First team: Jake Scott, 1970, Round 7; Reshad Jones, 2010, Round 5

Second team: Dick Anderson, 1968, Round 3; Glenn Blackwood, 1979, Round 7

Breakdown: This was another debate of production versus value because there's no arguing that Anderson would belong on the first team based on production. But we gave Jones the nod also because he was among the team's best players in the 2010s.

KICKING SPECIALISTS

First team: P Brandon Fields, 2007, Round 7; K Jason Sanders, 2017, Round 7

Second team: P Reggie Roby, 1983, Round 6; K Pete Stoyanovich, 1989, Round 8

Breakdown: Having to choose between Fields and Roby, the two best punters in team history, was splitting hairs. Sanders gets the nod at kicker after leaving as arguably the best kicker the Dolphins ever have had but unquestionably having the best season ever with his All-Pro performance of 2020.

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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 9:34 AM.