Today’s NFL Thursday entry takes to the Super Bowl VIII matchup—last week, we looked at the Minnesota Vikings, and this week we take on the Miami Dolphins. While the team isn’t the power it used to be, the franchise still has a long history of success since its origins as an AFL expansion team in 1966. And the players below represent a lot of that success, almost all thanks to Head Coach Don Shula and his wisdom.

No. 10: Bob Baumhower, NT—100 AV (1977-1984, 1986)

A second-round pick who made 5 Pro Bowls in his career cut short by injury, he was a dominant force on the famed Killer Bs defense of the early 1980s in Miami. From 1981-1984, he averaged 15+ AV before suffering leg injuries that sidelined him for the entire 1985 season. He wasn’t the same player when he returned in 1986, sadly. The fact he put up 100 AV in basically just 8 seasons is pretty incredible, actually.

No. 9: Nat Moore, WR—102 AV (1974-1986)

An offensive mainstay for a baker’s dozen worth of seasons, he was a third rounder who made 1 Pro Bowl (1977) during his NFL career, all with Miami. Moore topped the league with 12 touchdown receptions in 1977, and overall, he scored 75 TDs for the Dolphins (74 catches, 1 run). He averaged 14.8 yards per catch, mostly in an offense that emphasized the run for years. He played in 2 Super Bowls for the team, as well.

No. 8: Jim Langer, G/C—105 AV (1970-1979)

A veteran of the golden era of Miami football, he played guard as a rookie and then moved to center for the next 9 seasons. He was undrafted before signing with Cleveland and then ending up with the Dolphins, where he made 6 straight Pro Bowls from 1973-1978. He averaged 14+ AV in those 6 seasons, while helping the team win Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl VIII. Not bad for a guy from South Dakota State University.

No. 7 Bob Kuechenberg, G/T—116 AV (1970-1983)

A fourth-round pick in 1969 by Philadelphia, he debuted in the NFL with Miami a year later and went on to a Hall of Fame career. He mostly played guard, but he also spent 2 seasons at tackle (1978-1979). With 6 Pro Bowls (1974-1975, 1977-1978, 1982-1983) spread out over his career, Kooch really had a stellar impact on the Dolphins roster for a long time. He played in 4 Super Bowls with the team including the 1971 team that lost.

No. 6: Richmond Webb, T—123 AV (1990-2000)

The first player on this list to never reach a Super Bowl with the team, he was the No. 9 overall pick in the draft. Dominant from the start, he made 7 consecutive Pro Bowls to start his career, averaging 13+ AV over his first 8 years in the NFL. Despite never reaching the title game, Webb did play in 13 playoff games total over his 11 seasons with Miami. We’d say that’s pretty good payoff for a Top 10 draft pick, any way sliced.

No. 5: Larry Little, G/T—128 AV (1969-1980)

Another guy who went undrafted, Little played 2 seasons with the San Diego Chargers in the AFL before catching on with the Dolphins and making the Hall of Fame. He made the Pro Bowl in his first year with Miami and then again 4 straight seasons from 1971-1974. From 1971-1978, he averaged 13.5 AV, as he helped his team reach 3 straight Super Bowls from 1971-1973, while going undefeated in 1972 as well. Miami magic!

No. 4: Bob Griese, QB—138 AV (1967-1980)

Three guys named “Bob” on this list, but this was the “best” of the bunch in terms of career AV. The No. 4 overall pick in the 1967 Draft, he posted a 92-56-3 record as a starter and was the first quarterback ever to start 3 straight Super Bowls. Never a flashy passer (he tossed just 47 passes in 5 games while winning 2 Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973), he was the model game manager, for sure. He also made 8 Pro Bowls, too.

No. 3: Zach Thomas, LB—141 AV (1996-2007)

Only the second defensive player on this list so far, he was a fifth rounder who ended up in the Hall of Fame on the back of 7 Pro Bowls. He was a tackling machine, leading the NFL in total tackles twice (2002, 2006) and averaging almost 137 tackles a season while with the Dolphins. He peaked with 19 AV in 1998, but overall, he posted double-digit AV in 8 of his Miami years. Sadly, he only played in 8 playoff games, though.

No. 2: Jason Taylor, DE/LB—146 AV (1997-2007, 2009, 2011)

In 3 separate stints with the team, he established himself as a Hall of Fame player thanks to 6 Pro Bowls during his first run with the Dolphins. With 131 sacks overall in a Miami uniform, he made a lot of teams look foolish for allowing him to drop to the third round. From 2000-2006, he averaged 15 AV, too. Topping the league in sacks once (2002), he disappointly toiled on bad teams, playing in just 6 postseason games.

No. 1: Dan Marino, QB—216 AV (1983-1999)

Speaking of making other teams look foolish, Marino infamously was passed by 26 teams in the 1983 NFL Draft. Ooops: all he did was make 9 Pro Bowls, lead the NFL in numerous categories many times, win the 1984 MVP vote, and help re-define the position of quarterback in professional football. The superlatives are endless, so we won’t bother, but this guy was an awesome gunslinger despite never winning a title. Oh well.