MANKATO, Minn. -- It seems almost surreal now, at what appears to be the midpoint of a career that began with off-the-field shenanigans and included four years as a defensive vagabond when the Minnesota Vikings used him as a rotational rusher and even toyed at one point with moving him to linebacker.

But after scanning Everson Griffen's resume, which features two Pro Bowl trips, the fifth-most sacks in the league since 2014 and a contract extension that keeps him with the Vikings through 2022, it wouldn't be absurd to predict he'll go down as one of the greatest linemen in franchise history.

A fourth-round pick in 2010, Everson Griffen has worked his way up to ninth on the Vikings' all-time sacks list. David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire

That's a bold statement on its face, given the names that currently reside in the Vikings' pantheon at the position. The Purple People Eaters boast two Hall of Famers -- Alan Page and Carl Eller -- and a third player, Jim Marshall, who might still have a chance to reach Canton. Chris Doleman and John Randle are in the Hall of Fame. Jared Allen, and maybe Kevin Williams, could wind up there eventually. There might be no unit in Vikings history with a richer tradition than the defensive line, and Griffen will need a sterling final act of his career to secure a spot among the greats.

After the Vikings gave him his second big contract Wednesday, however, Griffen has a chance. He signed a four-year extension worth $58 million. Griffen, who doesn't turn 30 until December, is now signed through 2022. And with a few more seasons at his recent levels of production, he'll pass some big names on the Vikings' leaderboard.

His 48 sacks rank him ninth in team history, 2.5 behind Doug Martin for eighth on the list. Teammate Brian Robison is tied with defensive tackle Henry Thomas for fifth on the list, at 56, and Williams is fourth (with 60). A double-digit 2017 would put Griffen no lower than sixth on the list, depending on what Robison does, and he'd match Williams at 60 if he equals his career high by posting 12 sacks this season.

Then it's on to the biggest names on the list: Allen (85.5), Doleman (96.5) and Randle (114). Three more strong years could vault Griffen past Allen, whom he succeeded at right end. He'd need to be productive into the final years of his contract to get to the top of the list, and we should note here that players like Page and Eller would likely have the top spots locked away had sacks been an official statistic when they were playing.

Still, it's striking to think about Griffen being in that conversation, after knuckleheaded behavior (police used a stun gun on him twice in one weekend after his rookie season) and inconsistent production threatened to make the talented end a what-could-have-been story. To his credit, Griffen has transformed his career since the Vikings gave him a five-year, $42.5 million deal in 2014. His rigorous offseason work has resulted in a chiseled frame, giving him the strength to put linemen on skates even though he's around 260 pounds. He embraced Mike Zimmer's philosophy of line play, becoming a stout defender against the run in addition to a fearsome pass-rusher, and he has turned into one of the pillars of Minnesota's defense. Griffen will likely play on both the right and left sides this fall as the Vikings make room for the emerging Danielle Hunter, but his new deal shows he's not going anywhere for a long time.

On Wednesday, as Griffen rode his bicycle to the Vikings' first team meeting of training camp, defensive coordinator George Edwards caught up to the man of the hour, gave him a hug and congratulated him on the deal. "Thanks, Coach," Griffen said. "Now it's time to turn up."

Following a 13-year stint in Minnesota, Griffen could leave the NFL with a set of decorated statistics and -- perhaps -- a place in the team's Ring of Honor alongside some of the Vikings' all-time greats. He's a ways from making that a reality, but there was a time not too long ago where such a notion would have been laughable. The deal the Vikings gave Griffen on Wednesday provides a path for this fantasy to become reality.