Peterson tops rookie crop

Adrian Peterson's gaudy numbers are one thing. It's the way the Minnesota Vikings' rookie running back has burst into the NFL that has impressed seasoned veterans.

"Every time he touches the ball, my jaw drops," teammate and safety Darren Sharper said.

Despite being sidelined for a few weeks with a knee injury, Peterson has already done enough to rank at the top of this season's talented rookie class. He ran his way into the record books with 296 yards rushing against San Diego earlier this month and was leading the NFL with 1,081 yards. Peterson, the seventh overall pick in April, was also on pace to break Eric Dickerson's rookie rushing record when he was injured Nov. 11.

"Surprised? I wouldn't say surprised," said Peterson, who hopes to return soon from a partially torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. "With the mind-set I have and the guys I have up front, I know anything is possible."

That's how it is with rookies. Limitless potential can excite teams and fans as soon as a player is drafted. It's the players whose talent shine through as the season progresses that make teams believe they can build around them.

Along with Peterson, Kansas City's Dwayne Bowe, Buffalo's Marshawn Lynch, Cleveland's Joe Thomas, San Francisco's Patrick Willis and Houston's Amobi Okoye are among a strong group of first-year players who have made their teams look smart in the draft.

For every one of those, though, there have been underachieving duds — Tampa Bay's Gaines Adams, Atlanta's Jamaal Anderson, Miami's Ted Ginn Jr. and Carolina's Dwayne Jarrett — as well as surprising rookies who have come out of nowhere to make impacts such as New Orleans' Pierre Thomas.

"You're evaluating players off of what you see on tape and in workouts," Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "It's not an exact science. If it was, then everybody would hit on all their picks. There's a lot of time and effort and money invested in doing that."

Of the first 10 picks in the opening round, four have been as good as advertised: Peterson, Joe Thomas, Arizona offensive tackle Levi Brown and Washington defensive back LaRon Landry.

"He's what we thought we were going after in the draft," coach Joe Gibbs said of Landry, the sixth overall selection. "There are guys who come up here and say, 'Hey, I belong here. This is what I was meant to do.' He feels like he belongs."

So does Joe Thomas, who has rarely looked like a rookie while helping solidify Cleveland's offensive line.