Peterson in blue and silver?

The Vikings are thrilled to have Adrian Peterson. But Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli said his club considered Peterson with the second overall pick. Instead, the Lions chose WR Calvin Johnson, who also had a strong NFL debut Sunday.

"We looked very hard at him, too, no question," Marinelli said of Peterson. "Wow, those two guys coming out were really special. They both are just class guys, humble, physical, tough and playmakers. I think those are two really quality young men coming out of the draft."

Peterson obviously fell to the Vikings. But there was no way Johnson would have fallen to the Vikings if the Lions had passed on him.

Regardless, the two are generally regarded as the two top candidates for NFL rookie of the year.