Number 31 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

It's current running back Raheem Mostert vs. former safety Brock Marion for the top spot

Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert (31) spikes the ball after scoring a touchdown past New York Jets safety Tony Adams (22) during the first half of an NFL game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens last season. / Jim Rassol / USA TODAY NETWORK

The countdown to the start of the 2024 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 31.

The top players at each number so far have been DE Jason Taylor at 99, DT Jared Odrick at 98, DE Phillip Merling at 97, DT Paul Soliai at 96, DT Tim Bowens at 95, DT Randy Starks at 94,  DE Trace Armstrong at 93, LS John Denney at 92, DE Cameron Wake at 91, DE/OLB Marco Coleman at 90,  WR Nat Moore at 89, TE Keith Jackson at 88, TE Andre Tillman at 87, WR Oronde Gadsden at 86, LB Nick Buoniconti at 85, DE Bill Stanfill at 84, WR Mark Clayton at 83, WR Brian Hartline at 82, WR O.J. McDuffie at 81, WR Irving Fryar at 80, T Jon Giesler at 79, T Richmond Webb at 78, LB A.J. Duhe at 77, T Branden Albert at 76, DT Manny Fernandez at 75, T Mark Dennis at 74, NT Bob Baumhower at 73, T Terron Armstead at 72, T Todd Wade at 71, DE Kendall Langford at 70, G Keith Sims at 69, G Robert Hunt at 68, G Bob Kuechenberg at 67, G Larry Little at 66, OL Jeff Dellenbach at 65, G Ed Newman at 64, G Mark Dixon at 63, C Jim Langer at 62, C Tim Ruddy at 61, G Bert Weidner at 60, LB Doug Swift at 59, LB Kim Bokamper at 58, C Dwight Stephenson at 57, LB John Offerdahl at 56, LB Earnest Rhone at 55, LB Zach Thomas at 54, LB Bob Matheson at 53, LB Channing Crowder at 52, LB Bryan Cox at 51, LB Larry Gordon at 50, CB William Judson at 49, CB Gerald Small at 48, S Glenn Blackwood at 47, S Don Bessilieu at 46, CB Curtis Johnson at 45, CB Paul Lankford at 44, LB Andrew Van Ginkel at 43, WR Paul Warfield at 42, FB. Keith Byars at 41, S Dick Anderson at 40, FB Larry Csonka at 39, CB Calvin Jackson at 38, CB J.B. Brown at 37, FB Don Nottingham at 36, DB Walt Aikens at 35, RB Ricky Williams at 34, RB Karim Abdul-Jabbar at 33, and RB Kenyan Drake at 32.

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.

Players who wore 31 for at least one regular season game:

RB George Chesser (1967), RB Barry Pryor (1969-70), RB Terry Cole (1971), RB Norm Bulaich (1975-79), RB Rick Moser (1980), RB Eddie Hill (1981-84), DB Sean Hill (1994-96), S Brock Marion (1998-2003), RB Sammy Morris (2004-06), S Lance Schulters (2007), Evan Oglesby (2010), CB Al Harris (2010), TE Charles Clay (2011), CB Richard Marshall (2012), S Michael Thomas (2013-17), CB Cornell Armstrong (2018), CB Ken Webster (2019), RB DeAndre Washington (2020), RB Phillip Lindsay (2021), RB Raheem Mostert (2022-23)

The breakdown of 31 with the Dolphins

There isn't much debate for the top spot at 31, and it has to go to one of the best free agent signings in Dolphins history, that of safety Brock Marion. In six seasons with Miami, Marion was selected to the Pro Bowl three times and he led the NFL in interception return yards (227) and pick-sixes (2) in 2001. Norm Bulaich spent the final five seasons of his NFL career with the Dolphins after being acquired in a trade with the Eagles and averaged 421 rushing yards and 28 receptions in the first years along with scoring a total of 18 touchdowns, including 10 in 1975. Sean Hill played 44 games with six starts after being a seventh-round pick in 1994 and had one interception and a fumble return for a touchdown in his final NFL season in 1996. Running back Sammy Morris led the Dolphins in rushing in 2004, albeit with only 523 yards, and had six rushing touchdowns. He also had 400 rushing yards in 2006. Safety Michael Thomas made an immediate impact for the Dolphins with a game-clinching end-zone interception against New England in December 2013 five days after being signed off the 49ers practice squad and went on to start 25 games in the secondary while becoming a special teams captain. Raheem Mostert has been very productive in his two seasons with the Dolphins in his return following a one-game stint at the start of his career, particularly in 2023 when he set franchise records for most rushing (18) and most total touchdowns (21) in a season.

The top three Dolphins players with number 31

1. S Brock Marion

2. RB Raheem Mostert

3. RB Norm Bulaich

Dolphins 31's among the NFL's all-time best

Combining his work with the Dolphins and the Dallas Cowboys, Marion is tied for ninth on Pro Football Reference's Approximate Value chart for players who wore 31, so mentioning him as a top 10 player is far game. The best of the group was longtime Steelers safety Donnie Shell.