Number 2 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

We're now two 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

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 2.

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 Glenn 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; 15. QB Earl Morrall; 14. WR Jarvis Landry; 13. QB Dan Marino; 12. QB Bob Griese; 11. WR-RB-TE Jim Jensen; 10. K Olindo Mare

9. QB Jay Fiedler; 8. QB Matt Moore; 7. K Jason Sanders; 6. QB Jay Cutler; 5. K Dan Carpenter; 4. P Reggie Roby; 3. K Andrew Franks

Players who wore 2 for at least one regular season game:

RB Cookie Gilchrist (1966), Willie Beecher (1987), P Brandon Fields (2008-14), P Matt Haack (2018-20), WR Albert Wilson (2021)

The breakdown of 2 with the Dolphins

We're back to only five choices at number 2.

• Cookie Gilchrist was a four-time AFL All-Star when the Dolphins got him in a trade in 1966 and he rushed for 262 yards in eight games. Miami then made him part of a multi-player deal with the Denver Broncos the following year.

• Willie Beecher was the Dolphins kicker during the strike-replacement games of 1987 and in those three games he made 3 of 4 field goal attempts, with a long of 40 yards, and was 12-for-12 on extra points.

• After switching from 4 to 2 after his rookie season, Brandon Fields made himself arguably the best punter in team history. Fields led the NFL with a 50.2-yard average in 2012 and sandwiched that with a pair of seasons with a 48.8-yard mark. He made the Pro Bowl in 2013.

• Matt Haack was steady after joining the Dolphins as a rookie free agent in 2017, averaging between 44.5 and 45.0 yards in his four seasons and he was part of the famous "Mountaineer Shot" play of 2019 when he threw a touchdown pass to kicker Jason Sanders after taking a snap in shotgun formation off a field goal attempt. But the Dolphins let him leave via free agency last offseason.

• Wilson switched to 2 in 2021, but the number didn't bring him much luck, as he finished with 25 catches and a meager 8.5-yard average.

The top three Dolphins players with number 2

1. P Brandon Fields

2. P Matt Haack

3. RB Cookie Gilchrist

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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.