Minnesota Vikings 2010s All-Decade Team: Who made the cut?

Defensive Line

Everson Griffen, Brian Robison, Danielle Hunter, Linval Joseph

While the offensive line was a mess, the defensive line was a much better situation for the Vikings this past decade. With an ability to find diamonds in the rough, the Vikings were able to find plenty of prospects that turned into elite pass rushers and in all honesty, it was tough to find just four guys to put on this list.

The one name that definitely belonged on the list was Everson Griffen. As a 2010 fourth-round draft pick, Griffen had the talent to succeed coming out of USC, but many weren’t sure about his character. After a couple of hiccups in the early stages of his career, Griffen became a consistent force for the Vikings, collecting 74 1/2 sacks in ten seasons with the team.

His partner on the other end for a majority of the decade was Brian Robison, who didn’t have the same elite impact that Griffen had, but still played a key role on the Vikings defense. The Texas product was one of the first players to have minimal production in the NFL, but have the traits to become a solid player with 48 1/2 sacks for the Vikings from 2010 to 2017.

Robison’s stint with the Vikings came to an end with the arrival of Danielle Hunter. While Jared Allen also deserved consideration for this spot, 22 of his 56 1/2 sacks came in 2011 while Hunter has evolved into one of the top defensive players in the NFL. As the youngest player in NFL history to record 50 sacks, Hunter is just scratching the surface after turning 25 last October.

For the final spot, we turn to one of the best free-agent signings in Vikings history. Many weren’t sure who Linval Joseph was when he came over from the New York Giants, but he’s played a key role in stuffing the middle for the Vikings since signing in 2014 with 15 sacks and 351 combined tackles.