Bernard Berrian—Percy Harvin: Who Will Have More Receiving Yards?

I had some down-time today to do a little brain-storming over some Vikings' articles that I thought I could take the time to write.

I came up with a topic that could easily be debated. Bernard Berrian, a proven receiver, or Percy Harvin, a rookie to the NFL this year.

Who will have more receving yards in 2009?

Honestly, at this point, either one of these two young studs could win this battle. In the end, who will come out victorious?

Percy Harvin

Minnesota drafted Percy Harvin with the 22nd overall pick, as most of you should know by now. Right off the bat, the Vikings received some criticism for making a pick on somebody who has been known as having a bit of an "ego" issue.

Brad Childress had said that he wants to get rid of all things bad on the team. For those who had bad tempers, you would be gone. Was this taking a step in the right direction?

Ever since the infamous boat scandal, Vikings' fans have felt ashamed of the actions that there team has taken part in. However, you have to move on from the past and look towards the future for your success and prosperity.

Picking Percy Harvin was still puzzling to some people. Why did they want to take this chance on a player that could be a nuisance to the team? Could Percy change, or would his old ways just continue even when he made it to the NFL?

Nonetheless, Harvin was a great choice, and at the point where Minnesota was picking, he was far too good to pass up on. The Vikings needed a receiver that could draw off some of the double-teams that Bernard Berrian was receiving last season.

Harvin is an incredibly fast receiver with good hands. He will be able to burn defenders for the long-ball. Do not be surprised if he eclipses 1,000 yards next season, as long as the quarterback situation is somewhat normal.


Bernard Berrian

Bernard Berrian was signed after becoming a free-agent during the 2008 offseason. Bernard had spent four seasons with the Bears, totalling over 2,000 yards receiving in those four years.

In his rookie campaign, Berrian started in one game, but appeared in all 16. He hauled in 15 catches for 225 yards, along with two touchdowns.

His next season wasn't a whole heck of a lot better. Bernard had 13 receptions for 246 yards, but this time, no touchdowns whatsoever.

In 2006, Bernard started to shine. He started in 14 games for the Bears, had 51 catches, and nearly 800 yards receiving!

In Berrian's final season with Chicago he caught 71 balls for 951 yards, and five touchdowns.

His contract expired after the 2007 season. The Bears seemed to have no intention of re-signing Berrian, despite the fact that he was arguably their best offensive player currently on the roster.

Several teams were interested in Bernard, but the Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings were the only serious candidates to sign him.

To make a long story short, Berrian decided to sign with the Vikings over the Raiders. This was a very smart decision by Bernard.

In 2008, he started in 13 games, but appeared in all of them. Berrian caught 48 passes for 964 yards, and seven touchdowns.  This is considered, by some, to be his best season ever.

What will the '09 season bring for Bernard Berrian? Will he continue to impress, and finally pass 1,000 receiving yards?

Both of these receivers have great speed and have the ability to burn the defender at any point in the game.

Which one do you think will have the better season? How many yards do you think either one of them will have?

All opinions are appreciated. Please vote in the poll!