Toting the Rock with AP28

It's training camp time, and although not all draft picks have signed, there is always optimism in the air.  One of the most striking points of optimism for the Minnesota Vikings is the eventual addition of their new tailback, Adrian Peterson.  Most of the great teams these days have two solid backs, which is what makes the addition of Peterson so intriguing.  It's hard to know what the immediate role of the rookie will be, but in time it is clear--feature back.  Chester Taylor ran for over 1200 yards last year behind our mammoth offensive line.  The line was much maligned for not living up to their potential, but for my money, clearing the way for a career backup to rush for over 1200 yards is a job well done.  Peterson is bigger, stronger, faster and quicker than Taylor and by all reports has better vision as well.  Physical talent alone does not guarantee success over a career, but it's a good start.  I project that by the end of the year Peterson will be getting most of the first and second-down carries as well as goal line handoffs, with Chester Taylor getting the third down opportunities--a similar situation to Maroney overtaking Dillon in New England and Addai overtaking Rhodes in Indianapolis.  That said, who is Adrian Peterson anyway?

Strengths: Possesses an outstanding combination of size, power and speed. Shows a great deal of competitiveness and toughness as a runner. Extremely instinctive as a runner. Shows excellent vision and patience. Runs with ideal balance and body control. Makes quick cuts and shows very good initial burst off his plant foot. He is an upright runner but he also knows when to lower his shoulder for the most part. Rare in terms of his ability to gain yards after contact. He is a punishing back that will wear a defense down with 25-35 carries, and he seems to improve as the game wears on. He shows the initial burst and speed to consistently turn the corner as an outside runner. He continues to improve as a route runner. He has displayed soft hands as a receiver and has upside in that facet of the game. He also shows the size, strength and competitiveness to develop into a solid pass blocker with improved technique and more attention to detail.

Weaknesses: Durability is the biggest concern. He has been limited by injuries in each of his three collegiate seasons, yet he also has lots of mileage on his legs with 728 carries in the 30 games played to date. He will enter the NFL having already suffered injuries to his shoulder, ankle and collarbone. He is an upright runner that loses some power because he fails to consistently run with good pad-level. He’s not overly elusive and won’t make many defenders miss in space. He lacks ideal experience in the passing game. Will need polishing as a route runner and as a blocker.

Overall: Peterson started eight of 13 games played as a true freshman in 2004, when he rushed for 1,925 yards and 15 touchdowns on 339 carries. He also caught five passes for 12 yards that season. He was suspended for two days during 2005 spring practice and did not start vs. UCLA because he missed classes. As a sophomore in 2005, Peterson started eight of 11 games played (missed Baylor and parts of three other games with ankle sprain), and finished with 1,108 yards and 14 TD’s on 220 carries, and caught nine passes for 50 yards. A broken collarbone (Iowa State 10/14) forced him to miss seven games in 2006. For the season he rushed 188 times for 1,012 yards (5.4 average) and 12 touchdowns and also caught 10 passes for 136 yards and one touchdown, earning him a first team All-Big 12 selection. On a side note: His father was in prison from when Peterson was in middle school until October of 2006.

Durability is the biggest knock on Peterson. Otherwise, he’s a complete prospect with special physical skills and competitiveness. When healthy, Peterson displays an outstanding combination of size, vision, instincts, burst and power as a runner. Also, while his receptions were limited in college, he displays soft hands and lots of potential in that department. Overall, Peterson is by far the best running back in the 2007 class and he ranks as one of the top-five prospects regardless of position.

The following is from Wikipedia.com; and as Michael Scott says, Wikipedia is the greatest invention ever… anybody anywhere in the world can write anything they want, so you know you are getting the best information…

High school career

Peterson played football at Palestine High School coached by Jeff Harrell. As a senior he rushed for 2,960 yards on 252 attempts, an average of 11.7 yards per carry, and 32 touchdowns. He finished his 2002 campaign with 2,051 yards on 246 carries, an average of 8.3 yards per carry, and 22 TDs. Peterson was considered one of the best runnings backs in Texas prep history and consensus national player of the year 2004. He was awarded the 2004 Hall Trophy as the Ball Park National High School Player of the Year. Peterson was also named MVP of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl after leading the West squad with 95 yards on nine carries and scoring two touchdowns. Highly recruited, he chose Oklahoma over Arkansas, Miami (FL) and Texas.

At Palestine HS, Peterson also competed in track and field and basketball.

College career

Peterson runs against Boise State in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.

Peterson comes from a very athletic family. His mother was a collegiate track athlete, while his father signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Oklahoma. Personal troubles derailed his father’s enrollment at Oklahoma, however, and he ended up playing for the University of Southern Idaho, and later serving time in prison. He was released from prison during the 2006 season, but was precluded from attending any Oklahoma’s football games until his release from a half-way house in Oklahoma City. Peterson’s father was able to watch his son from the stands for the first time on October 14, 2006. Oklahoma beat Iowa State University in that game, but Adrian broke his collar bone diving into the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown run. During a press conference on October 18, Peterson said he was told by doctors to expect to be out for four to six weeks. He was unable to return for the rest of the Sooners regular season, but he was cleared to play in the Big 12 Championship Game. However, he and the coaching staff felt it would be safer to hold him out one more game. He returned for the Sooners’ last game against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl where he rushed for 77 yards. He refused to discuss his plans beyond the end of this season with the press. At the time of the injury, Peterson had only 151 yards to gain to pass Billy Sims as the University of Oklahoma’s all-time leading rusher. Peterson finished 74 yards short of that mark after the Fiesta Bowl. Peterson is 6′2″ about 225 pounds, with his 40 yard dash time reported at 4.38 by Sports Illustrated.

Career statistics

Rushing

Receiving

Scouting report

Peterson has good size at 6′2″ and 220 lbs. He has the power to run over a defender and the elusiveness make him miss. He has great speed and has the potential to score on any given play. The main knock on him is durability. Throughout his career at Oklahoma, he has suffered numerous injuries, including a broken collarbone. However, Peterson has been compared to such NFL backs as Shaun Alexander, due to Peterson’s strength and tackle-breaking abilities.

At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, Peterson ran a 4.38 unofficial 40 time. The night before the Combine, Peterson’s half-brother was killed in an apparent homicide in Houston, Texas.