Number 15 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

We're now 15 days away from the start of the NFL regular season, so we honor the best players who have worn that number for the Miami Dolphins

Jasen Vinlove-USA Today Sports

The countdown to the start of the 2022 regular season has begun now that we're under 100 days away, so we'll honor every day the best players to wear the corresponding number for the Dolphins.

Today, we're at number 15.

As a reminder about the ground rules, the top three will be determined only by what the players did while wearing that uniform for the Dolphins.

The top players at each number so far have been:

99. DE/LB Jason Taylor; 98. DL Jared Odrick; 97. DT Jordan Phillips; 96. DT Paul Soliai; 95. DT Tim Bowens; 94. DT Randy Starks; 93. DE Trace Armstrong; 92. LS John Denney; 91. DE/LB Cameron Wake; 90. DE/LB Marco Coleman

89. WR Nat Moore; 88. TE Keith Jackson; 87. TE Andre Tillman; 86. WR Oronde Gadsden; 85. LB Nick Buoniconti; 84. DE Bill Stanfill; 83. WR Mark Clayton; 82. WR Brian Hartline; 81. WR O.J. McDuffie; 80. WR Irving Fryar

79. T Jon Giesler; 78. T Richmond Webb; 77. DE/LB A.J. Duhe; 76. T Branden Albert; 75. DT Manny Fernandez; 74. T Mark Dennis; 73. DT Bob Baumhower; 72. DT Bob Heinz; 71. T Todd Wade; 70. DE Kendall Langford

69. G Keith Sims; 68. T Eric Laakso; 67. G/T Bob Kuechenberg; 66. G Larry Little; 65. OL Jeff Dellenbach; 64. G Ed Newman; 63. G/T Mark Dixon; 62. C Jim Langer; 61. C Tim Ruddy; 60. G Bert Weidner

59. LB Doug Swift; 58. DE-LB Kim Bokamper; 57. C Dwight Stephenson; 56. LB John Offerdahl; 55. Earnie Rhone; 54. Zach Thomas; 53. LB Bob Matheson; 52. LB Channing Crowder; 51. LB Bryan Cox; 50. LB Larry Gordon

49. CB William Judson; 48. CB Gerald Small; 47. S Gerald Blackwood; 46. S Don Bessillieu; 45. CB Curtis Johnson; 44. CB Paul Lankford; 43. S Bud Brown; 42. WR Paul Warfield; 41. FB Keith Byars; 40. S Dick Anderson

39. FB Larry Csonka; 38. DB Calvin Jackson; 37. CB J.B. Brown; 36. FB Don Nottingham; 35. DB Walt Aikens; 34. RB Ricky Williams; 33. RB Karim Abdul-Jabbar; 32. RB Kenyan Drake; 31. S Brock Marion; 30. RB Bernie Parmalee

29. CB Sam Madison; 28. CB Don McNeal; 27. CB Terrell Buckley; 26. S Jarvis Williams; 25. CB Xavien Howard; 24. RB Delvin Williams; 23. Patrick Surtain; 22. RB Tony Nathan; 21. RB Jim Kiick; 20. S Reshad Jones

19. WR-KR Ted Ginn Jr.; 18. WR Rishard Matthews; 17. QB Ryan Tannehill; 16. QB David Woodley

Players who wore 15 for at least one regular season game:

QB John Stofa (1966-67), QB Kim Hammond (1968), K Karl Kremser (1969-70), RB Charles Leigh (1971), QB Earl Morrall (1972-76), QB Kyle Mackey (1987), WR Kirby Dar Dar (1995), WR Ronald Bellamy (2004), WR Kerry Reed (2007), WR Davone Bess (2008-12), WR Damian Williams (2014), WR Justin Hunter (2016), WR Albert Wilson (2018-19), WR Lynn Bowden Jr. (2020), OLB Jaelan Phillips (2021)

The breakdown of 15 with the Dolphins

After we were in single digits for numbers 16 and 17, there's a longer list of players at number 15, and some good options for a top three.

• Earl Morrall was 38 when he joined the Dolphins in 1972 to back up Bob Griese, and went on to earn team MVP in the perfect season after starting the last nine games, though he gave way to Griese at halftime of the AFC Championship Game. Morrall would start one game each of the next three years, going 2-1 in those three starts.

• Davone Bess made the Dolphins roster as an undrafted free agent and proceeded to average 64 catches in his five seasons. His 54 catches in 2008 represents the highest total for a Miami rookie free agent. Bess also had three seasons where he averaged more than 11 yards on punt returns.

• Wilson started 12 games in three seasons with the Dolphins, but never was able to regain his earlier form after he sustained a serious hip injury in 2018.

• Phillips made an immediate impact for the Dolphins, setting the team rookie record with 8.5 sacks in 2021 after being the 18th overall selection in the draft.

Worth noting

Stofa, who started two games for the Dolphins, has the distinction of being the only player in team history to be traded and re-acquired in a trade. He started the 1967 opener before being injured in the first quarter and giving way to Bob Griese. ... Hammond played three games in a relief role in 1968 before being part of the trade that brought Nick Buoniconti to Miami. ... Kremser, who was 13-of-23 on field goal attempts in 15 games with Miami, later became soccer coach at Florida International University. ... Mackey was the starting quarterback in the strike-replacement games of 1987 and he went 1-2 with three touchdowns and five picks. ... Damian Williams was on the roster at the same time as running back Damien Williams, but Damian lasted only one game.

The top three Dolphins players with number 15

1. WR Davone Bess

2. QB Earl Morrall

3. OLB Jaelan Phillips

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Alain Poupart has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989. You can follow him on Twitter at @PoupartNFL.