Pete Prisco Releases His Top 100 Players List

As the offseason rolls on, we have another Top 100 ranking list to take a look at, this one belonging to Pete Prisco of CBS Sports. This one has three members of the Minnesota Vikings on it, and while none of them are ranked terribly high, there's a very good chance that all of them could be rated significantly higher next season.

The first Minnesota player on Prisco's list is running back Adrian Peterson, who checks in at #64.

He missed all but one game last season and he's 30 now, which isn't a good thing for a back. In his prime, he was way up this list. He might never get to that level again, but he can still be a 1,200-1,400-yard rusher.

Prisco is obviously skeptical about Peterson, which I suppose is understandable. Still, if he has the type of season that lots of people think he will, he's going to jump up the list significantly.

Our next member of the Vikings comes in at #80. . .and, in a bit of an upset (in my opinion), it's cornerback Xavier Rhodes. Prisco has pretty high praise for the third-year corner.

By the end of the 2015 season, he might be in the top 30 on this list. He has a ton of talent and he is capable of being one of the five best corners in the league.

Like I said, pretty high praise. I say that it's a bit of an upset because Rhodes is on the list ahead of a running mate of his in the Minnesota secondary, that being safety Harrison Smith. Smith is on the list at #94.

He had five picks, three sacks and had 92 tackles to show off his range. He is a prototype for the way the game is played now with his ability to cover a lot of ground.

Both Rhodes and Smith are outstanding young players, to be sure. At this point, with all due respect to Rhodes, I'd have a hard time putting him ahead of Smith. But, if he continues his current trajectory, such a ranking would probably be justified next season.

But there you have it. . .another offseason ranking list to chew on. I'm not sure how many other Vikings' players would have a case to be on the list. I think you could probably try to find a way to make room for Everson Griffen on there, but Prisco didn't see it that way. Hopefully next year's list will feature more members of the purple, and feature them in more prominent positions on the list.