Minnesota Vikings: 15 best first-round draft picks of all time

An argument can easily be made that Adrian Peterson is the best running back to ever put on a Vikings uniform. Aside from his off-the-field issues, Peterson was the face of Minnesota teams in the late 2000s and established himself as one of the best to ever step foot on an NFL field.

It took very little time for the league to realize how good of a running back he was as he ran for 1,341 yards and 12 touchdowns in his very first season with the Vikings in 2007. That year, he also set the NFL’s single-game rushing record when he ran for 296 yards in a Week 9 win over the San Diego Chargers.

During eight of his first nine seasons with Minnesota, Peterson finished each year with at least 950 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, including the 2012 season that saw him end with a franchise record 2,097 yards on the ground.

In 10 years with the Vikings, Peterson was voted to the Pro Bowl seven times, was an All-Pro First-Team selection on four occasions, won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2007, and was named the NFL MVP in 2012.

His 11,747 career rushing yards with Minnesota are the most by any player in franchise history (by more than 4,900 yards).

– AP