LAST SEASON: 10-6, lost to Steelers in divisional round of playoffs
PROJECTION: 4th in AFC North

	As long as the Ravens have Lewis, their D is solid.

STRONG SIDE

LB: The D-line lost two starters; the secondary, two key players. Devastating? Not here. Not as long as MLB Ray Lewis remains the heart and soul of this corps. Switching to a 3-4 set will give Lewis more latitude to roam the field. Translation: even more tackles for the 2001 league leader. The alignment switch also helps OLB Peter Boulware, who should add to his AFC-leading 15 sacks. Ed Hartwell and Adalius Thomas lack experience, but they'll learn plenty playing alongside Lewis and Boulware. Give this unit about a month or so to knit together, and running backs will want to steer clear.

WEAK SIDE

QB: Chris Redman has thrown a grand total of three regular-season passes. Backup Jeff Blake has thrown for more than 17,000 yards and 100 TDs. Yet Redman is No.1 to start the season. Brian Billick previously coaxed career years out of Randall Cunningham (Vikings, 1998) and Trent Dilfer (2000 Super Bowl season), but don't expect him to work miracles with Redman.

AFC North

1. Steelers

2. Browns

3. Bengals

4. Ravens

Scouting Report Index

OTHER UNITS

RB: Jamal Lewis tore up his right knee in college and bounced back with1,364 rushing yards and 6 TDs as a rookie. After blowing out his left knee and missing the 2001 season, can he do it again? The Ravens think so -- they didn't sign an experienced backup. If Jamal isn't 100%, Baltimore is crabmeat.

WR: Last year's leaders, Qadry Ismail and Shannon Sharpe, are gone. In their place are Travis Taylor (42 catches), Brandon Stokley (14.3 ypc) and second-year TE Todd Heap (6'5", 252, with soft hands), who will make or break first-year QB Chris Redman. Ravens fans can feel the pain already.

O-LINE: The four returning starters are Baltimore's most stable component, beginning with C Mike Flynn. But five-time Pro Bowl LT Jonathan Ogden is the 340-pound anchor. Edwin Mulitalo shifts from LG to RT, and second-year man Casey Rabach moves from C to take his place.

D-LINE: The departures of Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams leave a huge void in the middle. Luckily, new D-coordinator Mike Nolan's 3-4 defense shrinks the problem by one widebody. Speed-rusher Michael McCrary gets to the QB from the outside, and second-round pick Anthony Weaver clogs the middle.

DB: A big talker who can cover, CB Chris McAlister may not get challenged at all. With S Rod Woodson and CB Duane Starks gone, QBs will go after No.1 pick Ed Reed, a playmaker in college, who takes over Woodson's role. But Gary Baxter, switching from S to CB, will find Starks' shoes too big to fill.

ST: Pro Bowl returner Jermaine Lewis is in Houston. But rookie Lamont Brightful is a Lewis clone. Matt Stover is reliable (25-25 PATs; 30-35 FGs) and P Dave Zastudil, a fourth-round pick, has a booming leg.

This article appears in the September 16 issue of ESPN The Magazine.