Sports Illustrated’s Doug Farrar is going to make Adrian Peterson earn back his reputation as one of the best running backs in the NFL.
We’re not sure if Farrar is trying to jump the shark with this list, but he ranked nine running backs ahead of Peterson. Check out his top 10 – and don’t hold your breath because it’s going to take a while to get to Peterson.
- Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks
- Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
- DeMarco Murray, Philadelphia Eagles
- Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers
- Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals
- Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs
- Arian Foster, Houston Texans
- Justin Forsett, Baltimore Ravens
- Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins
- Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Farrar’s explanation of why he ranked Peterson so low:
“The great unknown. Should Peterson be higher on this list, given his amazing career accomplishments, and the fact that he ran for nearly 1,300 yards in 2013? The year off due to off-field issues will have some wondering about his conditioning, while others will say that it gives him a new lease on life from a physical perspective. One thing’s for sure: Peterson turned 30 in March, and that’s a bad place to be for any running back. The Vikings re-worked his contract in late July—they’re giving him $20 million guaranteed, so they certainly believe that he’s still got it.”
For the record, Peterson claims he’s in the best shape of his life so he might disagree with Farrar’s concern about his conditioning.
https://twitter.com/CharlesRobinson/status/623541144144580608
Vikings fans might be insulted to see the likes of Jeremy Hill, Lamar Miller and Justin Forsett ahead of Peterson, but the Star Tribune’s Michael Rand actually considers the list refreshing. He says it’s “a reminder of what an unknown this 2015 version of Peterson is — and what a fascinating case study about rust, motivation and the sands of time this will be.”
Draft your own opinion about Farrar’s rankings, but don’t use his list as advice when drafting your fantasy football team. NFL Network’s experts are probably a little better equipped to provide advice on fantasy football, and they agree that Peterson is in the conversation for the number one overall pick.
