After watching the way Adrian Peterson lit up the NFL last season for the Vikings, its hard not to get excited about this year's top running back entering the NFL draft, two-time Heisman runner-up Darren McFadden.

He enjoyed three amazing seasons in Fayetville as he rushed for 4,590 yards and 41 touchdowns while becoming the centerpiece of the school's "Wild Hog" offense. The innovation paid off as McFadden completed 14 of 22 attempts with seven touchdowns. While he only caught 46 passes in his college career, McFadden sees his ability to contribute in multiple facets of the game as a benefit at the next level.

Is the comparison to Adrian Peterson fair?

"I think there's a lot of comparisons between McFadden and Peterson because they have similar size, similar speed, similar running styles," Vikings VP of player personnel Rick Spielman told FoxSports.com.

While there's no debating the two backs have similar frames - Peterson is 6-foot-1 and 217 pounds; McFadden is 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds - not all agree with the assessment.

"I don't like his 23 fumbles in three years," said the NFL Network's Mike Maylock. "I think his legs are very spindly and I think his legs go dead on contact. To me, a top-10 running back is Adrian Peterson, and I don't put them in the same category. To me, (the comparisons) are not valid. To others they might be, to me they're not."

It's hard not to get excited about McFadden, but the former Arkansas running back does not come without some baggage. Then there was an incident in January where McFadden was handcuffed after a bar fight in Little Rock and later released without being charged. He severely injured his toe during a fight outside another Little Rock club in the summer of 2006, but recovered in time to play in the Razorbacks' season opener.

There are many teams that are salivating over the idea of drafting.  Even Bengals' head coach Marvin Lewis said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Friday, Feb. 22, that he'd consider the Arkansas tailback if he's available with the No. 9 overall pick, according to Chick Ludwig of the Dayton Daily News.