Vikings 2017 Draft Prospect Spotlight: Oklahoma RB Samaje Perine
By Jordan Reid
Fit on the Minnesota Vikings:
The status of Adrian Peterson is up in the air. Scheduled for an $18 million cap hit in 2017, many are expecting the Vikings to restructure or release the ten-year veteran. Matt Asiata is headed to free agency and many don’t expect him to return.
The franchise looks to be welcoming a new era into its backfield. Looking for someone to pair with Jerick McKinnon, Perine would be an ideal fit.
He is known as a downhill runner, something that McKinnon is not known for. Being more of a power runner between the tackles, Perine would allow offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to use McKinnon’s versatility at multiple positions and line him up all across different formations.
The former Sooner has the potential to be a three-down NFL rusher, but he was at his best on first and second down.
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Not to say Perine is unable to play on third-down, because he has shown the receiving ability to do so, but he would be most productive on early downs, and 3rd-and-short situations.