The Dolphins headed into the 1997 draft in good position to help themselves after being awarded three compensatory pick by the NFL, all of them at the end of the third round.
The Dolphins also had extra picks in the fourth and fifth rounds, both acquired the previous year in trades involving veterans Terry Kirby and Pete Stoyanovich.
The Dolphins then picked up an additional three selections in two draft-day trade-downs and ended up with an attention-grabbing 14 picks in that 1997 draft.
While first-round pick Yatil Green never got a chance to develop into an NFL star because of a series of major knee injuries, the 1997 draft did help the Dolphins continue to build what would become a dominant defense.