AP

Christian Ponder fell so far from the point when he was Vikings’ first-round draft pick in 2011 that he’s already out of the NFL. But Vikings running back Adrian Peterson says there’s no worry of that happening with last year’s first-round draft pick, Teddy Bridgewater.

Peterson said the difference between Ponder and Bridgewater was that Bridgewater has a poise while playing the quarterback position that Ponder always lacked.

“I can say this: If Christian Ponder had that same poise he would probably still be here playing,’’ Peterson said, via Ben Goessling of ESPN.

In terms of their physical tools, Bridgewater may not be a more talented quarterback than Ponder. But the position is as much mental as it is physical, and Ponder seemed to lack the mental necessities to play quarterback, while Bridgewater seems to have them. That’s how it looks from the outside, and that’s how Peterson sees it on the inside as well.