Adrian Peterson Ranks No. 35 on PFF's Top 101 Players of the 2010s

The former MVP running back is the first Vikings player to appear on PFF's list of the best players of the decade.

Adrian Peterson is the first current or former Vikings player to appear on Pro Football Focus's ranking of the top 101 players of the 2010s, checking in at No. 35.

Peterson had already racked up 5,300 yards from scrimmage and 41 touchdowns from 2007 to 2009 before the last decade began, but he had a couple of his best years in the 2010s. Peterson won the NFL MVP Award in 2012 after nearly breaking the single-season rushing record, and led the league in rushing for the third time in his career in 2015.

For the decade, Peterson trailed only LeSean McCoy and Frank Gore in rushing yards. He averaged 82.5 rushing yards per game, the most of any player with at least 75 games played in the 2010s. Peterson was a truly unstoppable force who was the centerpiece of the Vikings' offense for many years.

Here's what PFF said about Peterson:

Adrian Peterson is one of the most dominant ball carriers the game has ever seen. For him to rank this highly despite being such a limited factor on passing downs just speaks to how devastating he was with the ball in his hands. Peterson’s MVP season of 2012 was the highest single-season grade we ever gave to a running back over the decade. In over 10 years of action, he gained more than 6,000 rushing yards after contact, breaking 364 total tackles over the regular season.

So far, PFF has revealed players 101-26 on their list. The top 25 is coming out on Thursday, and it's possible there will be a Viking or two (Harrison Smith, anyone?).

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