Adrian Peterson Injury: Vikings Should Consider Drafting Trent Richardson

Adrian Peterson suffered a potentially horrific knee injury on Saturday, meaning the Minnesota Vikings have to consider drafting Alabama running back Trent Richardson.

Peterson went down early in the third quarter against Washington. Redskins safety DeJon Gomes crashed into the side of Peterson's left knee, causing it to bend inwards.

Peterson was clearly in pain, pounding his fist on the field before being helped up by trainers and carted off to the locker room. It's unclear how serious the injury is, but it looked pretty bad. I would be shocked if all his ligaments are still intact.

When healthy, Peterson is the best running back in football. Unfortunately, his health often betrays him.

This season he was struggling with a nagging high ankle sprain that limited him to just six carries over four weeks. Now he's likely going to need knee surgery.

The Vikings have to handle this situation delicately, as Peterson is the face of their franchise. But with all his injury issues, Minnesota may need to draft Trent Richardson.

Richardson is unquestionably the best running back in this year's draft class. The bruising 5'11", 224-pound back has all the tools to become the NFL's best ball carrier.

He's big, fast and explosive. He also might be the most violent runner I've ever seen. This 57-yard run against Auburn basically tells you everything you need to know.

The Vikings are 3-12 and will likely have one of the top three picks in the draft. If Peterson's injury is as serious as it looked, they would be smart to pick up Richardson for insurance.