Nestled in the best offensive scheme of his career, Adrian Peterson has to be considered the favorite to lead the NFL in rushing this season.
Frankly, Peterson should be the pick in every year of his prime.
Outside of the obvious threats such as LeSean McCoy and Jamaal Charles, the Green Bay Packers firmly believe Eddie Lacy will be Peterson's primary competition for the rushing crown in 2014.
"Without a doubt," running backs coach Sam Gash said this week, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He has the capability of being the leading rusher and maybe even combined yards if he catches a lot of balls. I absolutely do think that.
"I think he's a bell cow. He's a big guy, and he's physical."
From Week 5 on last season, McCoy and Charles were the only running backs to average more than Lacy's 86.7 yards per game.
Once he entered the starting lineup, Lacy averaged 23 carries and 99 rushing yards per game with Aaron Rodgers under center. That projects to roughly 1,600 yards if Lacy and Rodgers can stay healthy for a full season.
There's reason to believe the hammer-dropping Lacy can even surpass that projection, as he and Mark Ingram have been the most impressive runners we have seen on Preseason Live this summer.
Having demonstrated his versatility in a dominant training camp, Lacy hasn't left the field even on passing downs in the Packers' no-huddle offense this month.
"He's a rare player," one scout told the Journal Sentinel after watching Lacy in preseason action. "He has no weaknesses. He can catch, run, block."
Lacy might not have the long speed to reach Ahman Green's single-season franchise record of 1,883 rushing yards, but he can bypass Hall of Famer Jim Taylor for the second spot on the Packers' all-time list if he fulfills his potential.
The "Around The League Podcast" reviews all of the action from Week 3 of the preseason. Get it while it's hot!
