The NFL's Top 50 Draft Classes of the Decade: No. 48 Miami Dolphins, 2008

48. Miami Dolphins, 2008
Team Achievements: 18-14, 2008 Wild Card berth.
Notable Selections: Jake Long, OT, Michigan (No. 1), Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson (No. 33), Chad Henne, QB, Michigan (No. 57), Kendall Langford, DE, Hampton (No. 66).
* Miami traded Chris Chambers to San Diego for No. 57 pick.
Class Accolades: Jake Long - 2 Pro Bowls, 32 consecutive regular season starts.
Phillip Merling - 4 starts as a Dolphin, 3.5 career sacks, 60 career tackles.
Chad Henne - 12 career touchdowns and 14 interceptions, 7-6 as Dolphins' starter.
Kendall Langford - 2-year Dolphins' starter, 74 total tackles, 4.5 sacks.
* Chris Chambers - 113 catches, 1,747 yards, 14 touchdowns since the trade.

Overall Draft Analysis: Whether the Dolphins' 2008 draft class will rank as great, rather than good, depends on Henne's future performance at the helm in Miami. Long already ranks as arguably the No. 3 offensive tackle in the NFL behind Joe Thomas and Ryan Clady. Long impressively paved the way for the Dolphins' surprise 2008 playoff run, while allowing merely 4 sacks to aid the Chad Henne Project in 2009. The 'Fins rushing attack placed No. 9 in 2008 in rushing touchdowns, while leading the NFL in 2009. The strong-armed Henne exhibited flashes of brilliance in 2009, but poor decision-making persistently plagued the former Wolverine QB at critical junctures of the game. However, Henne surprisingly recorded a higher completion percentage than Carson Palmer, Donovan McNabb, Matt Hasselbeck, and Jay Cutler, amongst others. Henne remains a remarkable value as the No. 57 pick, especially in light of Chris Chambers' modest performance since the trade. While Long and Henne certainly headline the Dolphins' draft class, the rest of Miami's catch lacks the overall depth of others on the list to warrant a higher ranking. Merling continued to disappoint in Miami in 2009, while the No. 66 pick, Langford, has performed admirably on the edge. Nonetheless, expect Henne and Long to continue to compete for AFC East Championships for years to come.

The Dolphins' "Perfect Draft" in Retrospect
(Keeping actual trades, only players of same position are eligible)
No. 1 - OT Jake Long, No. 33 - DE Calais Campbell, No. 57 - QB Chad Henne, No. 66 - DE William Hayes, No. 110 - G Roy Schuening , No. 195 - G Donald Thomas, No. 204 - RB Peyton Hillis, No. 245 - DE Lionel Dotson.

References:
All player stats, draft results, and team results provided by www.pro-football-reference.com.