Vikings Draft RB Adrian Peterson, WR Sidney Rice

The Minnesota Vikings selected running back Adrian Peterson on Saturday.  The Vikes used the seventh overall pick in the 2007 draft on Peterson, a standout junior at Oklahoma who is coming off an injury-plagued senior year.

In the second round, the Vikings traded down to select South Carolina wide receiver Sidney Rice.

The Vikings passed on Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn to take Peterson, a 6’2″, 217 pound running back who runs a 4.4 second 40 yard dash.  In 2006, Peterson rushed for 1,012 yards, despite missing seven games with a broken collarbone.  Peterson was selected to the all-Big 12 team.  His most prolific season was 2004, when he rushed for 1,925 yards as a true freshman.

The Vikings traded down three spots in the second round, receiving a fourth-round pick from Atlanta.  They used their slightly lower pick on Rice, a 6’4″, 200 pound wide receiver who was a consensus all-SEC wide receiver for the Gamecocks.

The Vikings are coming off a disappointing 2006 season that saw them finish 6-10.  The team still has a big question mark at quarterback, which should be a battle between journeyman Brooks Bollinger and second-year player Tarvaris Jackson, who started the last two games of last year.  The Vikings also desperately needed help at wide receiver, where they are very thin on talent.