Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins: 5 Best First-Round Draft Picks Since 1990

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:20 p.m. ET

Fansided, Chris Spooner/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

The Miami Dolphins have had hits and misses in the NFL Draft, but here are their five best first-round picks since 1990.

Some of the best players in Miami Dolphins draft history, especially recently, were picked outside of the first round. Proving that you don’t have to be selected early to have an enormous impact on your team. Guys like Sam Madison, Patrick Surtain, Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Jarvis Landry, and Lamar Miller.

Each one of those players was taken in the second round or later, and has had a significant impact on the Dolphins at one point or another. Taylor had such an impact during his Dolphins career that he’s a semi-finalist for the Hall of Fame this year. And he deserves to be inducted.

The NFL Draft is an inexact science, and talent can be found all over the board if you’re willing to look for it. There are hidden gems all over the place. Guys who get overlooked because they aren’t “big enough” or “fast enough” or went to a small school.

Though some of the Dolphins best work has come outside of the first round, that’s not to say they haven’t had their share of success in that round, too. So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at who are the top five first-round draft picks since 1990.

5. Ronnie Brown, RB – 2002

We start our look at the best first-round picks in recent Dolphins history with a controversial pick. At least in some circles. I know many fans who think that Ronnie Brown belongs among the “top 5 worst first-round picks.” I understand where they’re coming from. Brown wasn’t the franchise running back that we all hoped he would be. He didn’t last as long as we would have liked and wasn’t the cornerstone for turning the franchise around.

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I get it. But if you look at Brown’s career with the Dolphins objectively, you see that he really is one of the better picks the club has made since 1990. Brown ran for nearly 5,000 yards and 36 touchdowns in five healthy seasons with the team. Brown was with the squad for six years total, but missed more than a season’s worth of games due to injury.

Brown’s value to the team went beyond the stats, though. In the 2008 season, Brown was an integral piece in the Dolphins most successful season in recent memory. Thanks in large part to Ronnie Brown’s running, and an innovative offensive scheme known as “the Wildcat,” the Dolphins won their only division crown since 2001. Brown was named to his only Pro Bowl that season, but injuries and aging led him to leave Miami just two years later.

Love him or hate him, Ronnie Brown deserves to be on the list of best first-round picks.

4. Troy Vincent, CB – 1992

The next guy up on our list only spent four seasons in Miami. He spent the bulk of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, but the time that he spent in Miami was stellar nonetheless. Growing up, Troy Vincent was one of my favorite players to watch.

The Dolphins have a long history of great defenses. But in my lifetime outstanding play from the defensive backs position has been few and far between. Other than Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain, who would both be on this list had they not been second-round picks, there hasn’t been much to speak of in that department, aside from Troy Vincent.

Vincent came to the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 1992 draft, out of the University of Wisconsin. Vincent made an immediate impact on the team, starting 14 games in his rookie season and coming away with two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

All told, Vincent would finish his Dolphins career with 14 interceptions before leaving after the 1995 season to the Philadelphia Eagles. Vincent would go on to be selected to five Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team during his stint in Philly. Though his time with the Dolphins was short-lived, his impact on the team was significant.

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

3. Ryan Tannehill, QB – 2012

At the midway point in our countdown of the best first-round picks in recent Miami Dolphins draft history, we come to yet another somewhat controversial choice. Making the transition from wide receiver to quarterback isn’t an easy one. There are going to be bumps and bruises, and that’s certainly been the case for the wide receiver-turned-quarterback from Texas A&M, Ryan Tannehill.

I will be the first to admit that I’ve been critical of Tannehill at points during his career. Particularly during this past season when the team started out 1-4. But I don’t think there’s any question that the young quarterback deserves to be on this list. Tannehill certainly isn’t Dan Marino. But he’s far from the bum that a lot of people would lead you to believe.

On the contrary, Tannehill broke several of Dan Marino’s rookie records in Miami. And he’s done so under more pressure than Marino. Tannehill has been the most-sacked quarterback in the league since being taken eighth overall in 2012.

Is this to say that Tannehill is a better quarterback than Marino? Absolutely not. Marino is, for my money, one of the three best quarterbacks in the history of the league. Having said that, Tannehill is putting up some staggering numbers in his early years. With some consistency in the coaching staff, we could be looking at the makings of a great one.

2. Tim Bowens, DT – 1994

When Tim Bowens was taken with the 20th overall selection in the 1994 draft, no one thought he would blossom into one of the best players in recent Dolphins history. He came to the Dolphins out of shape and only played in nine games in his college career. Yes, his entire college career.

But that didn’t stop Bowens from blossoming into a dominant force on the defensive line. Bowens, along with fellow defensive tackle Daryl Gardener, became one of the most formidable tackle duos in all of football during their careers. From the very outset, it was clear that Bowens was motivated to show the world the Dolphins made the right choice.

Bowens came out of the gates and set the NFL world on fire. He notched 44 tackles and three sacks in his rookie campaign. Numbers good enough to land him NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. And Bowens only got better from there, earning Pro Bowl bids in 1998 and 2002, and tallying a career-high five sacks in the 1997 season.

Those numbers might not sound all that impressive in today’s game, but the game of the mid-to-late 90s was a far different one from the high-octane, pass-happy game of today. Bowen’s contribution shouldn’t be overshadowed by today’s lens.

1. Richmond Webb, OT – 1990

It’s not often that you can make a legitimate case for an offensive lineman being the best pick your franchise has made in recent memory. However, ask any quarterback worth their salt, and they’ll tell you just how important it is to have a good line. Without it, any quarterback will struggle.

Richmond Webb was among the best of them. Coming to the Dolphins in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M, Webb was tasked with protecting the blindside of a legendary quarterback. And Webb did his job to near perfection.

Webb was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first seven seasons with the Dolphins. He was named to the first-team All-Pro squad in both 1992 and 1994. Webb was part of eight playoff teams in his 11 years with the Dolphins. He earned his induction into the Miami Dolphins Ring of Honor in 2006. Without the contributions of Webb, who knows what path Dan Marino, or the Dolphins franchise as a whole, take.

The contributions of offensive linemen are often overlooked. But I don’t think there’s any doubt the Richmond Webb is the best first-round pick the Dolphins have made since 1990.