Number 47 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

Killer B's member tops this group, but what about Kiko Alonso and the others?

Miami Dolphins middle linebacker Kiko Alonso closes in on Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy during the first quarter of a December 2016 games at New Era Field. / Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

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 47.

The top players at each number so far have been Jason Taylor at 99, Jared Odrick at 98, Phillip Merling at 97, Paul Soliai at 96, Tim Bowens at 95, Randy Starks at 94,  Trace Armstrong at 93, John Denney at 92, Cameron Wake at 91, Marco Coleman at 90,  Nat Moore at 89, Keith Jackson at 88, Andre Tillman at 87, Oronde Gadsden at 86, Nick Buoniconti at 85, Bill Stanfill at 84, Mark Clayton at 83, Brian Hartline at 82, O.J. McDuffie at 81, Irving Fryar at 80, Jon Giesler at 79, Richmond Webb at 78, A.J. Duhe at 77, Branden Albert at 76, Manny Fernandez at 75, Mark Dennis at 74, Bob Baumhower at 73, Terron Armstead at 72, Todd Wade at 71, Kendall Langford at 70, Keith Sims at 69, Robert Hunt at 68, Bob Kuechenberg at 67, Larry Little at 66, Jeff Dellenbach at 65, Ed Newman at 64, Mark Dixon at 63, Jim Langer at 62, Tim Ruddy at 61, Bert Weidner at 60, Doug Swift at 59, Kim Bokamper at 58, Dwight Stephenson at 57, John Offerdahl at 56, Earnest Rhone at 55, Zach Thomas at 54, Bob Matheson at 53, Channing Crowder at 52, Bryan Cox at 51, Larry Gordon at 50, William Judson at 49, and Gerald Small at 48.

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 47 for at least one regular season game:

DB John McGeever (1966), DB Tom Beier (1967-69), DB Ted Bachman (1976), S Glenn Blackwood (1979-87), S Stefon Adams (1990), CB Darrell Malone (1992-94), RB Robert Edwards (2002), C Jeff Grau (2003), DB Courtney Bryan (2007-08), LB Kiko Alonso (2016-18), LB Vince Biegel (2019-21)

The breakdown of 47 with the Dolphins

There isn't a debate for the top spot at number 47 because it's Glenn Blackwood all  the way. An eighth-round pick in 1979, Blackwood started 106 games in his nine seasons with the Dolphins and finished with 29 interceptions, including six in both 1984 and 1985. His older brother Lyle joined the Dolphins from the Colts in 1981 and they were part of the team's famed "Killer B's" defense. As for rest of the top three, nobody played more than three seasons with Miami. Darrell Malone played 25 games with three starts over past of three seasons. Kiko Alonso started all 46 games he played in his three seasons with the Dolphins after arriving in a trade with the Eagles and played a big role in the run to the 2016 playoffs as he finished with four fumbles recoveries and two interceptions, including his game-winning pick-six late in a victory at San Diego. Ironically, the player for whom Alonso was traded to New Orleans took his number 47, and that was Vince Biegel. Biegel showed promise in 2019 when he started 10 games and had 2.5 sacks and an interception, but he wasn't able to follow up on that performance. Robert Edwards played in 12 games for the Dolphins in 2002 in his first NFL action since he had rushed for 1,115 yards as a rookie for New England in 1998. Edwards, who had to come back from a devastating knee injury sustained in a rookie flag football game in the sand at the Pro Bowl, scored two touchdowns in the 2002 opener. He never played in the NFL after that 2002 season but was a two-time all-star in the Canadian Football League.

The top three Dolphins players with number 47

1. S Glenn Blackwood

2. LB Kiko Alonso

3. LB Vince Biegel

Dolphins 47's among the NFL's all-time best

Mel Blount and John Lynch are the two "47's" who are in the Hall of Fame, and we can debate who was the better player. Blackwood came in seventh in Pro Football Reference's Approximate Value rankings for this number.