A Big Date in Dolphins History

When the 2022 NFL draft kicks off Thursday, it will mark the sixth time the first round takes place on April 28.

That will match April 26 as the most common date for the first round, and it's a date that produced some of the most significant draft selections in Miami Dolphins history.

So on this particular anniversary, let's look back at those previous first rounds that took place on April 26 and revisit what the Dolphins did and how things played out — along with the obligatory second guess.

1983 — The Marino draft

Do we really need to go over what happened that year? OK, fine, here's the very quick version: Six QBs go in the first round; Dan Marino somehow lasts until 27th overall; the Dolphins, coming off a Super Bowl appearance, gladly take him.

End of story. Greatest pick in Dolphins history.

No second-guessing here.

1992 — Two first-round picks

The Dolphins found themselves in a great position that year after making a very unusual trade the previous September, sending their 1991 first-round pick Randal Hill to the Arizona Cardinals for their 1992 first-round pick. That latter selection became the seventh overall pick for the Dolphins, whose own pick was 12th.

With the two picks, the Dolphins selected cornerback Troy Vincent and defensive end Marco Coleman, both of whom left via free agency in 1996 after Jimmy Johnson replaced Don Shula as head coach. Vincent became a Pro Bowl player with the Philadelphia Eagles; Coleman was a solid starter in the NFL for more than a decade and made the Pro Bowl in 2001.

A quick look at that 1992 first round would tell you the Dolphins did as well as they could with those two selections.

2003 — The Ricky repercussions

The Dolphins didn't have a first-round pick in 2003 because of Ricky Williams' first season in Miami, which turned a conditional third-rounder into a second first-round pick (to go along with the one in 2002).

There was no reason to complain about the price at that time after Williams rushed for a franchise-record 1,853 yards or even after the 2003 season when he followed up with 1,372 yards, which remains the second-highest total in team history.

Of course, things went in a different direction in 2004, but that's a different story altogether.

2008 — The Long debate

While the Dolphins officially selected Jake Long on April 26, the decision had been made and formalized four days earlier when the team signed the tackle from Michigan to his first NFL contract — yes, there was a time when the team holding the first pick could start negotiations days before the draft.

The big debate that year, of course, was whether the Dolphins should go with the better NFL prospect (Long) over a potential franchise quarterback (Matt Ryan).

It's easy to look back now and say the Dolphins made a mistake considering injuries ruined Long's career by 2013 and Ryan is still going, but also understand that Long and Ryan have the same number of Pro Bowl selections.

All of Long's Pro Bowl selections came in his first four years, a clear sign he was headed to the Hall of Fame if not for the injuries. But the Dolphins passed up the chance to take a very good quarterback and they've continued looking for that franchise guy ever since.

2012 — Tannehill time

Of course, the hope was that taking Ryan Tannehill with the eighth overall pick in 2012 was going to be the answer to the quest for a quarterback.

The problem all along is that Tannehill felt like a bit of a reach at number 8 based in part on his limited experience at Texas A&M. Tannehill came in more like a great athlete playing quarterback than a pure quarterback, and nothing changed during his time in Miami.

In retrospect, the Dolphins would have been much better served by taking any of the three defensive players who went in the four picks after Tannehill: Luke Kuechly, Stephon Gilmore or Fletcher Cox.

What makes this pick even more painful is that Seattle got Russell Wilson in the third round that year and Washington got Kirk Cousins in the fourth round.

2018 — Minkah moment

Like 1983, this was a quarterback-heavy draft, with five being selected in the first round.

Looking back, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the selection of Minkah Fitzpatrick at number 11 — in fact, he's proven to be a terrific player. It's how things played out in Miami and the regrettable decision to ship him to Pittsburgh that's a negative mark on that pick.

In hindsight, it's easy to second-guess the Dolphins for not being more aggressive in landing a quarterback after watching the Buffalo Bills move from 12th to seventh to land Josh Allen or for not taking Lamar Jackson instead of Fitzpatrick, but that's easy to do after the Fitzpatrick fiasco.

That was not a drafting error, however, but a mistake in player management, which is a separate issue.