Adrian Peterson ranks first among all active running backs with 97 career rushing touchdowns and is second with 11,675 rushing yards.
He's near the top all-time and is projected to stay among the league's best even at the age of 31.
Peterson was recently ranked as the second-best running back in the league by Sports Illustrated's Chris Burke, who wrote:
Peterson averaged just shy of 100 yards per game [after gaining 31 in the season opener] as he claimed his third rushing title — his 1,485 yards topped Doug Martin's total by 83. Granted, it took Peterson an extra 39 carries to get there, but his ability to handle that heavy a load is a significant part of his appeal, too. When he plays a full 16 games, Peterson is a virtual lock for 1,300 yards and double-digit touchdowns.
Peterson led the NFL with 327 carries and tied for the most rushing touchdowns in the NFL (11) in 2015.
Burke said Peterson, who was ranked behind Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell, brings a combination of speed, power and agility to the field each Sunday.
The NFL's best running backs are a mix of versatility and strength, many of them capable of doing far more than just taking handoffs in the backfield. All of them can turn minimal gains into something special, and have proven they can do so despite the brutal wear and tear of their position.
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Vensel: Bridgewater is breakout candidate for Vikings
With the 2016 Verizon Vikings Training Camp just a week away, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune began looking at a position-by-position breakdown of the Vikings roster.
Minnesota's signal callers were up first.
Vensel gave readers a rundown of the four quarterbacks currently on the Vikings roster in Teddy Bridgewater, Shaun Hill, Taylor Heinicke and rookie Joel Stave.
With Teddy Bridgewater entrenched as the starter heading into his third NFL season, the only move the Vikings made at this position was signing former Wisconsin quarterback Joel Stave as a rookie free agent. The Vikings are focused on Bridgewater and his development, and their biggest talking point this spring was publicly urging the young QB to "let it loose." By that, they presumably mean being more decisive in the pocket and not being afraid to trust his receivers to make plays for him. Top pick Laquon Treadwell could encourage Bridgewater to do that.
Bridgewater threw for 3,231 yards and 14 touchdowns last season as he led the Vikings to an 11-5 record and an NFC North title.
Vensel said Bridgewater, who made his first Pro Bowl in 2015, is the obvious breakout candidate among the quarterbacks.
The 2014 first-round pick threw for just 14 touchdowns last season, but the Vikings didn't win 11 games with him under center by accident. Bridgewater, when he wasn't handing the ball off, mostly avoided big mistakes and did well to salvage plays when his offensive line often crashed down around him. The Vikings prioritized their offensive line during the offseason and added Treadwell in the draft, putting Bridgewater in position to take a big step forward in 2016.
