Few defensive ends arrived in Minnesota with higher expectations than Chris Doleman. Selected fourth overall in the 1985 draft out of Pittsburgh, he spent his first two seasons adjusting to the NFL. The Vikings initially used him at outside linebacker before shifting him to defensive end late in his second year. Once he settled into that role as a full-time starter in 1987, the production followed immediately. He posted 11 sacks that season, earned his first Pro Bowl selection, and began a stretch in which he became one of the league’s most consistent pass rushers.

The peak arrived in 1989 when Doleman led the NFL with 21 sacks. That total earned him first-team All-Pro honors and remains one of the highest single-season marks in Vikings history. He followed with another strong year in 1990 and then a second first-team All-Pro season in 1992, when he added 14.5 sacks, forced six fumbles, and returned an interception for a touchdown. Those years lined up with some of the Vikings’ better defensive stretches of the era, and Doleman was the constant threat off the edge.

He played with power and a long first step that made it difficult for tackles to stay in front of him. His combination of size and speed let him set the edge against the run while still generating consistent pressure on the quarterback. From 1987 through 1993, he remained a starter and earned six Pro Bowl selections while in Minnesota. The production stayed high even as the team cycled through different schemes and supporting casts.

After the 1993 season, the Vikings traded Doleman to the Atlanta Falcons. He spent two years there, then three more with the San Francisco 49ers, where he continued to produce double-digit sacks. In 1999, he returned to Minnesota for one final season and added eight more sacks before retiring. With the Vikings, he finished with 96.5 sacks across his two stints. Those totals, paired with the All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition, placed him among the franchise’s strongest defensive ends.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted him in 2012. Five years earlier, the Vikings placed him in their Ring of Honor.