Now that the 2007 NFL season has officially come to a close, it's time for everybody's favorite part of the offseason: the draft!
It is fast approaching, and there are decisions to make. Bill Parcells' first pick as Dolphins Executive Vice President of Football Operations will be No. 1 overall.
Will Matt Ryan, the signal-caller from Boston College, get the call? Or will it be LSU's dominant defensive tackle, Glenn Dorsey?
The Patriots hold the 49ers selection at No. 7. They could use a spry young linebacker. But All-Pros Randy Moss and Asante Samuel are free agents, and New England may decide that they can't afford to pay top price for a high draft-pick. What will they do with their pick?
Who will Matt Millen choose for the Lions? That's always interesting (and often hilarious).
But the question I most ponder is another one—one that I'm sure will elicit heated debate in the comment box:
Is Arkansas stud junior tailback Darren McFadden (Heisman runner-up the last two seasons) a better player than current Vikings superstar runningback Adrian Peterson (1,925 yards, Heisman runner-up his freshman year) when he entered the draft last year?
Not is McFadden a better prospect; that is almost certainly a yes. As gifted as Peterson was/is, his penchant for injury in college had to have been a major concern for any team interested in his services.
He missed eight games altogether and parts of three others in his three years at Oklahoma—which is a lot. D-Mac has no such issues. The question is, is McFadden a better pure football player?
For what they're worth, the numbers look like this:
Peterson (2004-06)
30 games, 747 carries, 4048 yards, 41 rushing touchdowns, 24 receptions, 198 yards, one receiving touchdown.
McFadden (2005-07)
38 games, 785 carries, 4590 yards, 41 rushing touchdowns, 46 receptions, 365 yards, two receiving touchdowns.
Now, I'm usually not a big stats guy, because there's just too much that they can't expain or don't take into account. The numbers do NOT speak for themselves, in many cases.
But in this instance, I think they do.
I think it's awfully close, and I think the Purple Jesus wins an initial eyeball contest; he has faster game speed than McFadden and he's the more breathtaking player to watch. But McFadden had a higher yards per carry average at Arkansas and he was more durable.
Maybe he's not quite as talented (I know that sounds crazy, because the guy is ridiculously blessed) but he was a better and more productive player in college. That's MY answer to my own question.
But this isn't about me. This is about you guys. What do you think?
Should Darren McFadden be considered a better player than Adrian Peterson was coming out of college?
Fill up the inbox.
21 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Michael Rice about 1 year ago
Here's the way I see it - there's no chance that Minnesota would trade Peterson for any pick in this year's draft. Peterson has to be the choice, durability issues or not.
If you're looking at numbers, you might as well go ahead and throw in 296: the single game rushing record.
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Joe Willett about 1 year ago
watch darren mcphaddens highlights and tell me he doesn't have game breaking ability, also, mcphadden is so much more wanted out of college than peterson was, i think we will get to watch a great show when the 2 teams that have these backs face each-other next season. but mcphadden is better, and thatis a scary thing to say
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Earl Coats about 1 year ago
Well what about playing in the SEC and tying the SEC record for a single game of 321 yards set in 1978 by Frank Modica. I think McFadden will break NFL record for a single game, and season because McFadden is a little L.T, Shaun Alexander, and Purple Jesus.
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Michael Bolding about 1 year ago
Mcfadden has more ability in one nut than peterson has in his whole body. lol jk. Ill take Mcfadden any day of the week only because i didnt get to see much of peterson. But give peterson credit he fought through the injuries and always came back to play and didnt rust any when he did get hurt.
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brenden west about 1 year ago
Those who are ready to christen the unproven Mcfadden don't realise that despite durability issues, Peterson is an elite back because he significantly stronger and more physical than Mcfadden is, ever was, and ever will be. He may be agile now, but when he gets in the pros, where EVERYONE is fast, he'll be slower to develop. Speed wins in college, but strength reigns supreme in the NFL.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
I just played four years of college runningback and I watched a tremendous amount of film on other runningbacks.
Here is my opinion-Adrian Peterson is a great runninback but his only downfall is that he runs to upright for the college and NFL level. Adrian's upright running style is why he is often injured. Mcfadden runs with lower pad level, therefore he stays healthy every season. However, Adrian is a better pass blocker which is very important and he has outstanding foot work. Although, Adrain does tend to fumble at times. I noticed on film that Mcfadden has better ball leverage when carrying the football.
The answer to the question is Adrain Peterson. He ran a 4.40 40 electronic and I guarentee you Mcfadden will not post that fast of a time. Peterson has that stop and go speed and power mix that makes him so dangerous.
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Michael Whittenberg about 1 year ago
Well since AP has already proven he can play at the next level, I'm going with Peterson.
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Erric Martin about 1 year ago
Adrian peterson is the more moves type of exciting running back but was injured a lot his senior that gave mcfadden more yards in college and in aprils nfl draft darren mcfadden will go to the raiders or houston texans or the miami dolphins.
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Aron Glatzer about 1 year ago
Don't sleep on Jonathan Stewart. The guy is a beast; he is made for a power running game. The spread offense is built for shifty and quick smaller backs to take advantage of the space the spread creates. I have a feeling J-Stew does better at the pro level than college.
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Howard Griffen about 1 year ago
i think id have to take McFadden.....he's less injury-prone while still being a fast, powerful back. Peterson may be faster, but ill take very fast and very durable over very VERY fast and injured half tha time.....n itll get harder and harder for him to recover from being hurt as he matures.....McFadden wont be hurt so much, so he will probably produce big time numbers longer than Peterson. The stats are close enough in most areas to be ignored, but McFadden still did a bit better. Whoever is better, they r both phenomenal!
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
well if darren is so good what happened agaist Mizzou in the cotton bowl. i amnot a tigers fan but i want justification. the difference between him and AP is AP is a jutty shifty runner that breaks others ankles and can burst thru a hole. where as mcfadden runs at or through people. i believe mcfadden can become more like a Stephen Jackson than a Jones-Drew.
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Corey Tackmann about 1 year ago
Coming out of college, D-Mac is a better prospect than AP was. That being said, I'm from Minnesota and I love AP. Being a prospect is one thing, but to prove it at the next level is another, for that I choose AP.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
in this case numbers dont matter...AD miss 8 games right..in his college career he average about 20 carries a game and about 150 yards rushing with atleast 2 td's...if we wanna talk about numbers just imagine that he didnt miss those games. he would of had 38 games over 5,000 yards rushing and about 50 td's..Compare to DMc numbers there's no question if AD didnt miss those games he would been the number one pick in last years draft...Now DMC is a great footballer and no knock on him..he's a better receiver than AD..but thing with him he did had help with felix jones as the other threat to opposing defenses..AD didn't, he had a wide receiver playing quarterback and young wide receivers that was good but not great..So i think it would be a great thing to see DMC make himself known in the NFL as an elite player but not better than AD.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
You have got to be kidding. Darren McFadden hasn't proved anything in the NFL. For all we know, he could be the ryan leaf of the running back position. Adrian has proven he can go out there and produce at the pro level. Adrian Peterson hands down.
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Michael Fox about 1 year ago
I agree. This is rediculus. McFadden could be the next Laurence Phillips for all anyone knows. He probably won't even get 800 yrds next year. He could show up to the combine out of shape and drop out of the first round entirely. Adrian Peterson is a machine. He's the ultimate warriar. He knocks helmets off opposing tacklers! He made Ernie Simms, Shawn Marriman, Brian Urlacker, and Ray Lewis all look like grade school children at some point this year. D-Mac did the same to a bunch of fine NCAA student athelets, many whom could probably help you with your taxes this time next year. The amazing rookie season that AD had is the only reason that we are discussing the possibility of McFadden doing something similar or better. It won't happen. AD know he was going to have the year he had. He called well before the season started.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
just imagine AP posting those ridiculous number for the vikings without a solid quarterback and receiver play last year.. now the vikings will likely make a move for donovan mcnabb coz of his connection with his former qb coach and now the viking's head coach Brad Childress. Theyre also planning to improve their
receiving corps.Tarvaris Jackson has matured and improved his game so with improved qb and wr play, it will be easier for AP to have better numbers coz he will have more carries next year and with the help of the number 1 OL unit in the NFL, he will have a better career than mcfadden.. just think about the OL of the teams that can pick him..
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Ok both players are very talented and very very fast. McFadden appears to be very durable, which we all know is a critical element in a NFL career, especially at the RB position. While McFadden has the edge in durability, when it comes down to straight, raw, pure talent, Adrian Peterson is just too much for McFadden. Adrian peterson not only has more power running moves and the stop-and-go acceleration but he has a edge in perhaps the most important element of a Running Back's game: VISION. VISION. VISION. Watch McFaddens and Petersons Highlights and pay attention to just pure vision. My answer is Adrian Peterson
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Are you guys serious. what a joke. Adrian Peterson all they way. McFadden is a great prospective nfl running back, but just because he is very good at the NCAA level doesnt mean he has ANY business being compared to Adrian Peterson at the NFL level. Its worth analysizing.. for a second before we all realize adrian peterson is one of kind, an extremely rare kind.
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Kevin Farmer about 1 year ago
mcfadden is the better prospect coming out of college.... but he still has to prove himself in the pros.. he obviously has speed running a 4.33 40 which was faster than AP's and remember those three or four games in a row last season when AP got shut down for like 30 yards a game.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Coming out of College Mcfadden is a better prospect simply because he was less injury prone. Statistically, they were both dominant. It would have been interesting to see what Mcfadden's numbers would have geen if Arkansas had had someone average to above average at QB. As was, they had the nation's numebr #2 rushing team and were in the lower third passing...Peterson always had the benefit of playing against defenses that had to defend against the pass which everyone knows when you play arkansas the only passes you have to defend will come from Mcfadden to whoever is in the Endzone(6 td passes at ARk)...
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
ADRIAN PETERSON IS THE BEST RUNNING BACK IN THE NFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY THAT ANYBODY, EVEN MC FADDEN, COULD EVER BE AS GOOD AS HIM! 296 YARDS! I GUARANTEE HE WILL BREAK HIS OWN RECORD AGAIN! AND ALL YOU RETARDED PACKER FANS BETTER SHUT UP ABOUT RYAN GRANT, BECAUSE THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY THAT HE IS BETTER THAN ADRIAN!!! EITHER IS LT!!!!!
ADRIAN PETERSON GOT SHUT OUT BECAUSE HE WAS FACING 8 AND 9 MAN FRONTS. IS IT LIKELY THAT TWO ROOKIES IN A ROW WOULD WIN PRO BOWL MVP, SET THE SINGLE GAME RUSHING RECORD, AND LEAD THEIR CONFERENCE IN RUSHING YARDS? THERE IS NO WAY MC FADDEN CAN DO IT!
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