Considered the top power plus speed back in over a decade, Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson fell into the Vikings' lap at number seven in the draft. Peterson was the nation's top player coming out of high school and left school a year early as the nation's top back. Not bad. Now it's his time to prove that he's more Eric Dickerson than Hershel Walker in the NFL.A view on his chances from a guy who watched him play three years ...
Pros: Peterson is incredibly competitive. He wants to win on every down and goes hard at his work in games, in practice and in the offseason. His combination of physical attributes (height, weight, strength and nearly world class speed) are nearly unmatched. Peterson can run inside and play the NFL's grind it out game and he can break tackles and bounce it outside for big gains.
Cons: Injury history. Peterson has missed several games each of the last two seasons recuperating from various maladies. The cumulative workload of being the man for four years in high school and a breakout freshman season for the Sooners meant lost playing time the last two years. It only gets tougher in the NFL and he has to find a way to protect his body more.
Youth. Peterson only played three seasons of college football. The general line of thought is that an experienced player can enter the NFL more game-ready, is more mature, has seen more and is simply less in need of being coached up.
Overall: If he can stay healthy Peterson will become the face of the Vikings franchise and deliver some tremendous performances particularly early in his career while his legs are fresh and wear-and-tear begin to take him out of action. Potentially he's a pro bowl and hall-of-fame type back and should provide solid returns at worst for much of his career. Can do it all especially if he adds a receiving element to his game.
Previously at FanHouse:
Peterson Would Look Mighty Sweet in Purple
Everything You Wanted to Know About Adrian Peterson
College Eye for the NFL Guy: Adrian Peterson
Peterson's Collarbone Could Be a Lot Worse Than Expected
