Miami Dolphins Draft 2023: History of the NFL’s 84th overall pick

The 2023 NFL Draft kicks off tomorrow night, with the first round and the initial 31 picks bringing college prospects into the league. The Miami Dolphins are not scheduled to make a pick on night one, with their first pick coming in the second round. They also hold a third round pick, giving them two scheduled times on the clock for Friday.

Yesterday, we took a look at the history of the 51st overall pick, Miami’s first selection this year. Today, we continue that with a look back at the last 10 picks made 84th overall, Miami’s third round pick. We also take a look at the three times the Dolphins have previously used the 84th selection.

Last 10 years of 84th overall picks:

2022 - Pittsburgh Steelers
DeMarvin Leal, Defensive End, Tesam A&M

Leal appeared in 11 games last season, starting twice, with a stint on the injured reserve list during the season. He recorded 14 tackles as a rookie, along with three passes defensed.

2021 - Dallas Cowboys
Chauncey Golston, Defensive End, Iowa

This pick was traded twice before the Cowboys made it, originally belonging to the Indianapolis Colts before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles as part of the trade that sent quarterback Carson Wentz to Indianapolis. The Eagles then sent the pick, along with their first-round pick, to the Cowboys to move up to Dallas’s first-round pick to select wide receiver DeVonta Smith.

In two seasons with the Cowboys, Golston has worked at both linebacker and defensive end, appearing in 15 games each year. He has 54 career tackles along with two passes defensed, a fumble recovery, and two sacks.

2020 - Los Angeles Rams
Terrell Lewis, Linebacker, Alabama

Lewis began his career on the COVID-19 list, then on the non-football injury list for the Rams, but still played in eight games his rookie season. He served as a reserve linebacker in 2021 and 2022, before being waived late in the year last season. He was signed to the Chicago Bears practice squad for the end of the season and into 2023. He has appeared in 30 games, all for the Rams, with seven starts and recorded 40 tackles, one interception, three passes defensed, a forced fumble, and six sacks.

2019 - Kansas City Chiefs
Khalen Saunders, Defensive Tackle, Western Illinois

This pick was originally the Seattle Seahawks, but was traded to the Chiefs, along with defensive end Frank Clark; Seattle received the 29th and 92nd picks along with a 2020 second-round pick in exchange.

Saunders played for the Chiefs sporadically over the first four years of his career, with injuries slowing him in 2020 and 2021. He appeared in 38 games over the past four seasons, starting five times, with 81 tackles, two passes defensed, and 4.5 sacks. He signed as a free agent this offseason with the New Orleans Saints.

2018 - Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Jones, Defensive Tackle, NC State

Jones appeared in 15 games as a rookie, then moved into being a starting defensive tackle for the club in 2019. He continued to start for the team in 2020, then moved outside to become a defensive end in 2021. Last season, Jones signed with the Chicago Bears, starting all 17 games. He has 68 career appearances, including 52 starts, with 170 tackles, six passes defensed, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries, and 7.5 sacks.

2017 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chris Godwin, Wide Receiver, Penn State

Godwin has spent all six years with the Buccaneers, working up from a depth wide receiver to a starter and a one-time Pro Bowl selection. He has appeared in 87 games with 60 starts in his career, catching 446 passes for 5,666 yards with 32 touchdowns. He was selected to the 2019 Pro Bowl.

2016 - Washington Commanders
Kendall Fuller, Cornerback, Virginia Tech

Fuller began his rookie season as a reserve cornerback, appearing in 13 games, including six starts, in 2016. He appeared in 16 games with six starts the next year before being included in an offseason trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, heading west as the Commanders acquired quarterback Alex Smith. After two seasons in Kansas City, Fuller returned to the Commanders, where he has played the last three seasons. He has appeared in 102 games with 78 starts in his career, recording 407 tackles, 14 interceptions with two touchdowns, 66 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and two sacks.

2015 - Philadelphia Eagles
Jordan Hicks, Linebacker, Texas

As a rookie, Hicks started the year as a reserve option at inside linebacker, receiving spot starts due injuries during the season. He moved into the Eagles’ starting middle linebacker role in 2016, holding that position through the 2018 campaign, though he was limited in 2017 due to a torn Achilles tendon. In 2019, he signed with the Arizona Cardinals, playing three years as the team’s starting inside linebacker. He moved to the Vikings last year, starting all 17 games during the year. He has appeared in 109 career games, starting 106 of them, with 767 tackles, 12 interceptions with one touchdown, 44 passes defensed, five forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries, and 13.5 sacks.

2014 - Arizona Cardinals
Kareem Martin, Defensive End, North Carolina

Martin spent four years with the Cardinals before a two year stint with the New York Giants, and a final season on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad. He appeared in 78 career games, including 21 starts, with 105 career tackles, one interception, six passes defensed, four forced fumbles, and five sacks.

2013 - Cincinnati Bengals
Shawn Williams, Safety, Georgia

Williams served as a reserve safety for the Bengals for his first three years before assuming the starting strong safety role in 2016. He held on to that role for the most part through 2019, serving as a backup again in 2020. He moved over to the Arizona Cardinals in 2021 but was released at the end of the preseason, signing in season with the Atlanta Falcons and appearing in six games with two starts that year. He has appeared in 125 career games with 63 starts, recording 447 tackles, 12 interceptions with one touchdown, 26 passes defensed, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries, and three sacks.

Dolphins history of 51st overall pick:

1967
Bob Greenlee, Tackle, Yale

Greenlee was selected by the Dolphins but never played in the NFL, instead choosing to pursue music coming out of Yale. He played in a blue band, the Midnight Creepers, in Central Florida and formed blues label King Snake Records. He passed away from cancer in 2004.

1981
Sam Greene, Wide Receiver, UNLV

Greene never made an NFL appearance, moving to the USFL in 1983, then to the Canadian Football League through 1984.

2000
Ben Kelly, Defensive Back, Colorado

Kelly was a dynamic returner for the Buffalos along with playing cornerback in college. After being selected by the Dolphins, he made two appearances as a rookie, returning five punts for an average of 6.2 yards. In 2001, he appeared in two more games for Miami before they released him for breaking team rules; he then moved over to the New England Patriots, where he made two more appearances. He stayed with the Patriots in 2002, making seven appearances, including making five defensive tackles. He had a brief stint with the Denver Broncos in 2003, then had chances in the Arena Football League and the Canadian Football League.