RealGM Wiretap
Aaron Rodgers moved past Brandon Marshall in the first round in a matchup that was difficult to take serious, while Adrian Peterson defeated Calvin Johnson in somewhat surprisingly comfortable fashion.
In the five seasons Rodgers has been the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, he has ranked sixth, fourth, third, first and first in passer rating and now is the career-leader at 104.9.
Rodgers was a highly accurate quarterback at Cal, but his lack of arm strength caused him to slide all the way to the Packers at 24th in the 2005 NFL Draft. Similar to Tom Brady, Rodgers significantly improved his physical profile once arriving in the NFL to make the type of throws that the way he reads the field allows possible.
Rodgers has a 52-26 record as a starter and that has come with a rotating cast of receivers and often a patchwork offensive line. Rodgers has mastered the West Coast offense in a way that would make Bill Walsh proud and he is truly a blend between Joe Montana and Steve Young given his playmaking abilities both in the pocket and in the open field with his running.
As a running back, Peterson's impact was instantaneous, rushing for 1,341 yards and 12 touchdowns as a rookie. With opposing defenses focused on containing Peterson, his yards per carry dropped below 5.0 for the next four seasons, even with a rejuvenated Brett Favre at quarterback for two of those.
When Peterson tore his ACL toward the end of the 2011 season, many expected to see a limited version of his previous self, but he came back stronger and more dominant than ever. Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns on 348 carries, good for a remarkable 6.0 yards per attempt and 131.1 yards per game.
The concern with running backs is always longevity, but Peterson's return and comments on the condition of his knee by Dr. James Andrews suggests he can sustain 100 percent production for another three seasons and possibly 80 percent of that for another two or three years. Running backs typically fall off a cliff once they accumulate too much wear and tear, but Peterson is as likely as anyone to become the exception.