Number 68 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

Did Robert Hunt do enough before leaving as a free agent to earn the top spot?

Offensive lineman Robert Hunt (68) against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in 2022. / Jamie Sabau-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 68.

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, and Keith Sims at 69.

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 68 for at least one regular season game for the Dolphins:

OL Melvin Mitchell (1976), T Eric Laakso (1978-84), T Greg Koch (1986-87), T Louis Oubre (1987), G Andrew Green (1995), T Mike Sheldon (1997-99), C Seth McKinney (20002-06), G Ikechuku Ndukwe (2008), G Richie Incognito (2010-13), T Ulrick John (2015), G Isaac Asiata (2017-18), G Evan Brown (2019), G/T Robert Hunt (2020-23)

The breakdown of 68 with the Dolphins

Unlike number 69, there's a real debate to be had with this number, and it includes the last player to wear the number, Robert Hunt. While he never made the Pro Bowl, Hunt was a good (at times very good) starter for four years before he left as a free agent this offseason. The late Eric Laakso was a fourth-round pick out of Tulane in 1978 who started at right tackle from 1980 through the first four games of the 1984 season. Laakso, who died in 2010 at the age of 54, never made the Pro Bowl but was a solid starter. Even though he was a third-round selection, Seth McKinney was the Dolphins' top draft pick in 2002 and he started in both 2004 and 2005 before he spent all of 2006 on IR with a neck injury and was released the following year. He played three more seasons with the Browns and Bills. Richie Incognito was a starting guard for the Dolphins from the time he joined the team as a free agent in 2010 to the time he was suspended in 2014 for his role in the "Bullygate" scandal. Incognito was a really good offensive lineman for Miami, making the Pro Bowl in 2012, but the circumstances surrounding his departure have to be weighed in when honoring the top players to wear 68. Andrew Greene played six games with one start as a rookie second-round pick in 1995, but he was waived the following summer after Jimmy Johnson took over as Dolphins head coach.

The top three Dolphins players with number 68

1. G/T Robert Hunt

2. T Eric Laakso

3. G Richie Incognito

Dolphins 68's among the NFL's all-time best

While his career is off to a good start, Hunt has a ways to go before he can be considered among all-time greats. The four Hall of Famers who wore 68 as their main number all are offensive linemen — Joe DeLamielleure, Russ Grimm, Kevin Mawae and Will Shields — and other notables at this digit include DE L.C. Greenwood and DT Rubin Carter.