Number 49 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

We're now 49 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 49.

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

Players who wore 49 for at least one regular season game:

CB Jimmy Warren (1966-69), DB Ray Jones (1971), DB Charlie Babb (1972-79), CB William Judson (1982-89), DB Marvell Burgess (1987), FB Tony Paige (1990-92), FB Robert Wilson (1994-96), LB DeWayne Dotson (1997), LB Zach Vigil (2015-16), LB Sam Eguavoen (2019-21)

The breakdown of 49 with the Dolphins

As we start the second half of the countdown, we found ourselves with several solid candidates for the top three players to wear 49 for the Dolphins. Cornerback Jimmy Warren came to the Dolphins in 1966 via the expansion draft and proceeded to lead the AFL in interception return yards that season with 198. He was selected for the AFL All-Star Game that season. Warren started for all four of his seasons with Miami and had nine interceptions over the first two years. Charlie Babb played eight seasons with the Dolphins and started 35 of 97 games, including every game in 1975 and 1976. He had a career-high four interceptions in 1975, three years after his punt block return helped the Dolphins defeat the Cleveland Browns in their first playoff game in 1972. William Judson arrived as an eighth-round pick in 1981 and spent his rookie season on IR and was a backup in 1982 before going on to start for the next seven seasons. Judson missed only two games after his rookie year and finished with 24 interceptions, including six in 1983 and four in 1984, 1985 and 1988. Tony Paige started 45 games at fullback in his three seasons and averaged 47 catches per season before going on to become a player agent.

Worth noting:

Robert Wilson played 31 games for the Dolphins in the 1995 and 1996 seasons. ... DeWayne Dotson played 25 games with two starts for Miami after being a fourth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 1994. ... Zach Vigil started two games as a rookie free agent in 2015. ... Eguavoen made six starts and was second on the team in sacks with 3.5 in 2019 after coming over from the Canadian Football League and served as a backup the past two seasons.

The top three Dolphins players with number 49

1. CB William Judson

2. CB Jimmy Warren

3. FB Tony Paige