Before the 2007 NFL draft, Arizona fans were salivating at the prospect of Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson still being on the board when the Cardinals’ pick came up.
Sure enough, Peterson was on the board when the Cardinals picked at No. 5. And the Cardinals passed, selecting Penn State offensive tackle Levi Brown instead. The Vikings took Peterson at No. 7, and that missed opportunity is still a topic of conversation in Arizona.
It’s especially a topic of conversation this week, when the Cardinals are preparing to play against Peterson and the Vikings.
Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes that Brown and the Cardinals’ front office get questions about the decision to pass on Peterson every year when they play the Vikings, and every year we’re reminded that there were questions about Peterson’s durability at Oklahoma, the Cardinals were desperate to beef up their offensive line, and Arizona thought running back Edgerrin James might still have something left.
But whatever the reasons, there’s no question that passing on Peterson turned out to be a huge mistake for the Cardinals -- and one of those times when the fans knew exactly who the team should have taken, but the folks in the team’s war room out-smarted themselves.