Miami Dolphins Draft 2023: History of the NFL’s 51st overall pick

The 2023 NFL Draft is just a couple of days away, with the first round kicking off on Thursday night. The Miami Dolphins will likely have a quiet Thursday as they currently do not hold a pick in the first set of selections. Without a trade being made, the Dolphins will not be on the clock until the 51st overall selection, a second-round pick that will be made on Friday night.

What is the history of the 51st overall selection? We take a look back at the last ten picks made at that spot, as well as the one time the Dolphins held that pick - all the way back in their first Draft in 1966.

Last 10 years of 51st overall picks:

2022 - Philadelphia Eagles
Cam Jurgens, Center, Nebraska

When you are selected to play a position manned by Jason Kelce, there is a good chance you will not see a lot of playing time as a rookie. That is what happened to Jurgens, who played 35 snaps on offense during the season. He did play in all 17 games, however, primarily on special teams.

2021 - Washington Commanders
Samuel Cosmi, Tackle, Texas

Cosmi’s rookie season was a roller coaster ride, beginning with being named Washington’s starting right tackle, but then having injuries to his ankle and hip force him to miss playing time, including a stint on injured reserve. He played nine games as a rookie, looking to come back stronger in his second season. He found himself relegated to a reserve tackle role for the first portion of the year before moving to a starting right guard role. He finished the season making appearances in 14 games with six starts for 2022.

2020 - Dallas Cowboys
Trevon Diggs, Cornerback, Alabama

Diggs appeared in 12 games, starting 11 times, as a rookie, recording three interceptions, 14 passes defensed, and 58 tackles as a rookie while dealing with a broken foot that landed him on injured reserve during the season. In 2021, he earned a Pro Bowl selection and was a First-Team All-Pro as he led the league with 11 interceptions, two returned for a touchdown, along with 21 passes defensed and 52 tackles. He was again selected to the Pro Bowl in 2022 when he recorded three interceptions with 14 passes defensed and 59 tackles.

2019 - Tennessee Titans
A.J. Brown, Wide Receiver, Ole Miss

Brown caught 52 passes his rookie season, reaching 1,051 yards with eight touchdowns. In 2020, his 70 receptions for 1,075 yards and 11 touchdowns earned him a Pro Bowl selection. He followed that with a 63 reception season in 2021, but was limited to 869 yards with five touchdowns. Last season, he rebounded with 88 receptions for 1,469 yards and 11 scores, earning his second Pro Bowl appearance.

2018 - Chicago Bears
Anthony Miller, Wide Receiver, Memphis

Miller appeared in 15 games as a rookie with the Bears, starting four times, and caught 33 passes for 423 yards and seven touchdowns. He caught 52 passes for 656 yards with two scores in his sophomore campaign in 2019, appearing in 16 games with seven starts. In 2020, he played in 16 games with six starts, catching 49 passes for 485 yards and two scores. In 2021, he spent two games with the Houston Texans and one games with the Pittsburgh Steelers, catching a combined six passes for 25 yards and a touchdown. He was on injured reserve with Pittsburgh for the entire 2022 season.

2017 - Denver Broncos
DeMarcus Walker, Defensive End, Florida State

Walker appeared in 10 games as a rookie in 2017, recording one sack and seven tackles. He was limited to just three appearances in 2018, tallying four tackles, a fumble recovery, and a sack. In 2019, he played in 10 games, including his first career start, with 22 tackles and four sacks recorded during the season. In 2020, he played in 13 games, including four starts, with 18 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. In 2021, he moved to the Houston Texans, where he played in 13 games, starting twice, with 31 tackles, a forced fumble, and two sacks. Last year with the Tennessee Titans, Walker appeared in 17 games, with six starts, and made 32 tackles, with seven sacks.

2016 - New York Jets
Christian Hackenberg, Quarterback, Penn State

Hackenberg made no appearances in two seasons with the Jets before being traded to the Oakland Raiders in May 2018. He was waived by the Raiders in August that year and was claimed by the Philadelphia Eagles, but was waived at the end of the preseason. He spent part of the 2018 season on the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad before being released. He had a brief experience with the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football, but was benched after three games, remaining as the third-string quarterback for the team until the league folded. In 2020, Hackenberg made an attempt at returning to baseball, but he is now working as a high school coach.

2015 - Cleveland Browns
Nate Orchard, Defensive End, Utah

Orchard spent three seasons with the Cleveland Browns, appearing in 13 games with one start over that span, recording 65 tackles, one interception, four passes defensed, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and five sacks. He was released at the end of the 2018 preseason, spending portions of that year with the Buffalo Bills (three games, four tackles, one pass defensed) and Kansas City Chiefs (one game). He started 2019 with the Seattle Seahawks, but was waived before training camp. He then joined the Miami Dolphins, but was released at the end of training camp. He signed during the season with the Washington Commanders, spending parts of two seasons there and appearing in eight games with 16 tackles, one pass defensed, one fumble recovery, and a sack. After being waived by the Commanders near the end of the 2020 season, he had a brief sting with the Houston Texans but did not make an appearance before finishing the year on the Tennessee Titans’ practice squad. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad in November 2021, but was released two weeks later. He then signed to the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad in late November before the Commanders poached him in mid-December, making two appearances with the team that year. He did not play in 2022.

2014 - Chicago Bears
Ego Ferguson, Defensive Tackle, LSU

As a rookie, Ferguson appeared in 16 games, recording 24 tackles, three passes defensed, and two sacks. In his second season, a knee injury landed him on injured reserve after just four games, including a start, with three tackles made. He was suspended by the league late in the 2015 season for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy, then was placed on injured reserve for the 2016 season due to a shoulder injury. He was released in March 2017. He failed a physical as he attempted to join the Green Bay Packers in April, then joined the Detroit Lions in June, but was waived at the end of the preseason.

2013 - Washington Commanders
David Amerson, Cornerback, NC State

Amerson worked as both a safety and a cornerback during his career, playing a little over two years with the Washington Commanders with 33 games played, including 23 starts, and recording 109 tackles, two interceptions with a touchdown return, 18 passes defensed, and a forced fumble. He was waived during the 2015 season, with the Oakland Raiders claiming him. He made his Raiders debut just five days after joining the team, and he played 14 games with 12 starts for them that year, finishing with 58 tackles, four interceptions with a touchdown return, 25 passes defensed, and one forced fumble. His combined 26 passes defensed led the league in 2015. He continued with Oakland for two more seasons, starting 21 games with 82 tackles, two interceptions, two passes defensed, and a fumble recovery. After being released by Oakland in February 2018, he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs but was waived at the end of the preseason. He then appeared in six games, including five starts, with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018, recording 21 tackles, one interception, and two passes defensed.

Dolphins history of 51st overall pick:

1966
Don Hansen, Linebacker, Illinois

Hansen was selected by the Dolphins in the 1966 AFL Draft, their first year as a franchise. He chose to join the Minnesota Vikings, who had selected him with the 42nd overall pick in the NFL Draft. He played 11 years in the NFL, two with the Vikings, seven with the Atlanta Falcons, a split 1976 season with the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, and his final year in 1977 with the Packers. He appeared in 142 career games with 113 starts, recording 10 interceptions with a touchdown and 13 fumble recoveries.