The 3rd best Miami Dolphins draft pick of all time is...
Jason Taylor, who was a 1997 3rd round pick, 73rd overall.
Taylor wasn't very highly thought of when he entered the league out of Akron. Many thought he was nothing more than a nickel pass rusher. Fans like myself really had never even heard of him until he was drafted with the 73rd overall pick.
As it turns out, he may go down as the great defensive player in Miami Dolphins history. Go figure.
Taylor's 124 sacks as a member of the Dolphins is nearly twice as much as the guy with the second most (Bill Stanfill. He's currently tied for 8th in NFL history with 132.5 career sacks. His outstanding 2006 season earned him Defensive Player of the Year honors despite being on a team that won only six games. And his 18.5 sack 2002 season is tied for the 12th most ever in a single season.
Taylor also has returned six fumbles for a touchdown (most in league history). He's a six time Pro Bowler and three time first-team All-Pro. And he's a likely headed to Canton (or, at least, he should be).
So who did some teams choose over Taylor in '97? How about defensive ends like Brandon Mitchell, Jared Tomich, and Nathan Davis - just to name a very few.
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