Number 92 and the Three Dolphins Who Wore It Best

Zach Sieler quickly has become one of the best players to wear this number for Miami
Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler (92) takes on the field prior to a 2023 game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium.
Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler (92) takes on the field prior to a 2023 game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

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 92.

The top players at each number so far have been Jason Taylor at 99,Jared Odrick at 98Phillip Merling at 97Paul Soliai at 96Tim Bowens at 95, Randy Starks at 94, and Trace Armstrong at 93.

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 92 for at least one regular season game for the Dolphins

LB Laz Chavez (1987), DE Nate Hill (1988), LB David Griggs (1989-93), DT Daryl Gardener (1996-2001), DT Jeff Zgonina (2003), LS John Denney (2007-18), DT Robert Nkemdiche (2019), DT Zach Sieler (2019-23)

The debate on the best 92 on the Dolphins

There aren't a lot of players to debate here considering only eight wore the number and four of them played one season or less with the Dolphins. The only one-and-done who made any kind of impact was DT Jeff Zgonina, who played all 16 games with three starts in 2003 and had three sacks and an interception. Griggs started 45 games for the Dolphins, including all 16 in 1990 when the defense led the way to a 12-4 finish. Gardener started 77 games in six seasons with the Dolphins and had flashes of dominance, though the consistency wasn't always there. Denney, of course, ended up playing the second-most games in franchise history, though he spent his first two seasons wearing 97. His longevity alone might give him the nod, plus he's also the only Dolphins player selected to the Pro Bowl wearing 92. Zach Sieler has become a great pick-up for the Dolphins and is coming off a season where he reached double digits in sacks.

The top three Dolphins players with number 92

1. John Denney

2. Daryl Gardener

3. Zach Sieler

Where No. 1 ranks among the NFL's all-time best

There's no Dolphins player who would rank close to the top of the 92's in the NFL. The best player to ever wear that number probably has to be the late Reggie White, the dominant defensive lineman for the Eagles and Packers. Other greats to wear that number would include Michael Strahan, Haloti Ngata and James Harrison.


Published
Alain Poupart

ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.