For the fifth time in six years, Adrian Peterson's peers have ranked him as one of the top 10 players in the NFL.
Peterson was voted in at No. 5 in NFL Network's "Top 100 Players of 2016" episode that aired Wednesday night. The list is compiled entirely by NFL players.
Peterson nabbed his third career rushing title last season by running for 1,485 yards. He also racked up 11 rushing touchdowns, which tied for the most in the league.
Peterson's opponents praised his power, speed, agility, quickness and vision on the show. Arizona's Tyrann Mathieu joked that his shoulders still hurt from tackling Peterson in a December game.
"He runs angry, and I love that about him," said Green Bay defensive tackle Mike Daniels. "You do anything angry in this game, and it's going to help you out quite a bit."
Added Denver linebacker Brandon Marshall: "I like to refer to Adrian Peterson as an animal. The guy is just relentless. He doesn't stop."
Peterson is second among active players with 11,675 rushing yards, a total that puts him 17th on the all-time rushing list. He is ninth in NFL history with 97 career rushing touchdowns and has 102 total touchdowns in his 10-year career.
The 31-year-old has eight seasons of double-digit rushing touchdowns and seven seasons of at least 1,000 rushing yards.
Minnesota's all-time leading rusher was ranked the highest of the 10 running backs who made the list. The next closest running back was Todd Gurley of Los Angeles at No. 22.
Peterson, the highest-ranked NFC North player on the list, was lauded by opponents for his longevity. They realize the Hall of Fame will call Peterson's name one day.
"The best running back of this generation would be Adrian Peterson," said Jacksonville running back Chris Ivory. "I think about his mentality and how he approaches the game … he has a heart full of fight."
Added New Orleans linebacker and former Wayzata High School star James Laurinaitis: "He's not slowing down at all, and I don't think he's ready to pass the torch off to anybody anytime soon."
Peterson was third on the inaugural list when it came out in 2011. He followed that up by being eighth in 2012 and first in 2013.
His top ranking came after his 2012 season in which he rushed for 2,097 yards, the second-most in a single season in league history. Peterson, who also ran for 12 touchdowns that season, finished nine yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season record.
Peterson was ranked fourth in 2014, his fourth straight season in the top 10.
Peterson was the third member of the Vikings to make the Top 100 list, as safety Harrison Smith was ranked 73rd and defensive tackle Linval Joseph came in at No. 76.
