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Safety Ed Reed leads all active players with 34 interceptions since he entered the league in 2002.

EXPERTS' PICKS

The Ravens finished last in the AFC North last season with a 5-11 record. For AFC North coverage, visit James Walker's AFC North blog. | Discuss Ravens | MAG Preview

ANALYST	PREDICTION
Jeffri Chadiha ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 4   It's the same old story with the Ravens -- the defense is stout and the offense has its share of questions. At best, this team will win seven games.
John Clayton ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 4  Even if Troy Smith wins the starting quarterback job, the Ravens won't be able to put up enough points to get out of the cellar. The three other teams in the division can score 23 or more points a game, and the Ravens can't catch up with just a hard-hitting defense.
Tim Graham ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 4  New coach John Harbaugh (a special teams guy) and new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron must pitch in to help returning defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, whose unit has been carrying the franchise for years.
Jeremy Green Scouts Inc.	DIVISION FINISH: 3  Regardless of who is running the show, the Ravens' fate will be decided by quarterback play. Defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is one of the best, so the Ravens need to settle on a signal-caller and hope offensive coordinator Cam Cameron can make that player play above and beyond his capabilities.
Paul Kuharsky ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 4  The coaching staff sets things in the right direction. But an aging defense plus no proven quarterback equals poor results.
Matt Mosley ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 3  Troy Smith should and will be the starting quarterback. And while that makes the Ravens a better team to watch, it doesn't change the fact that the offense doesn't have a lot of weapons at wide receiver. John Harbaugh will win in Baltimore. Just not this year.
Mike Sando ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 3  John Harbaugh was arguably the best assistant coach in the league. How he handles a first-round rookie quarterback could be the key to the Ravens' future.
Kevin Seifert ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 4  New coach John Harbaugh has a veteran defense, but he's approaching the job as if he's starting from scratch. This could take some getting used to.
James Walker ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 3  The Ravens are an enigma, having gone 13-3 in 2006 and 5-11 in 2007. With the quarterback position unsettled, it will be extremely tough for Baltimore to post a winning record for the second time in three years.
Seth Wickersham ESPN The Magazine	DIVISION FINISH: 4  Joe Flacco lucked out being drafted by the Ravens, with a proven quarterback developer in Cam Cameron, a solid offensive cast and a good defense. Doesn't mean they'll get to the playoffs this year, though.
Bill Williamson ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 4  The Ravens are transitioning from the Brian Billick era to the John Harbaugh era. It might take Harbaugh a while to get this program started as the Ravens shift toward a youth movement.
Matt Williamson Scouts Inc.	DIVISION FINISH: 3  There are a lot of pieces still in place from the 13-win performance in 2006, but the questions surrounding quarterback and offensive tackle will be tough to overcome. The coordinators are exceptional, making John Harbaugh's transition to head coach much easier.
Pat Yasinskas ESPN.com	DIVISION FINISH: 4  They have a new coach and a bunch of new faces. But it's going to be the same old story -- good defense, but not a quality quarterback on the roster. That will drag this team down.
	CONSENSUS DIVISION FINISH: 4 | NFL standings

BEST OF THE RAVENS

Best offensive player: RB Willis McGahee. McGahee quietly had one of his best seasons in 2007 with 1,207 yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged 1,143 rushing yards per season during his first four seasons. Receiver Derrick Mason, who had 103 catches in 2007, and tight end Todd Heap also are solid weapons. But neither is as important to Baltimore's success as McGahee.

Best defensive player: S Ed Reed. This was a tough call with so many stars on this unit, including middle linebacker Ray Lewis, cornerback Chris McAlister and outside linebacker Terrell Suggs. But the slight edge goes to Reed because, at 29, he still is in his prime and was one of the few defenders able to stay healthy in 2007.

Best playmaker: LB Ray Lewis. Lewis has an innate ability to read plays as they happen and the physical ability to get to the right spots -- time after time.

Best clutch player: K Matt Stover. Stover, 40, is one of the NFL's best clutch kickers. In 2007, he was 27-for-32, including a perfect 19-for-19 from 39 yards or less. He has a stellar 83.8 career kicking percentage.

Best unheralded player: NT Haloti Ngata. Ngata, 24, is a talented defensive tackle who usually is overshadowed in the star-laden defense. Still, Ngata is greatly appreciated for keeping linemen off linebackers Lewis, Suggs and Bart Scott.

-- James Walker, ESPN.com

SCOUTS INC.'S FAB FIVE

Scouts Inc. has evaluated and graded more than 2,400 NFL players heading into the 2008 season, giving Insiders a leg up on the competition with exclusive grades, alerts and scouting reports.
Top five players	ANALYSIS
1. Ed Reed Safety 5-11 | 200	(Grade: 90) He has rare instincts from the back end combined with excellent range and anticipation skills. He has excellent vision and is one of the best at reading the quarterback and closing aggressively to break up plays.
2. Terrell Suggs Linebacker 6-3 | 260	(85) He can play as a traditional defensive end with his hand on the ground or as a linebacker in the two-point stance with the ability to drop into coverage and handle the flats. Suggs is an exceptional athlete and a tough leader.
3. Haloti Ngata Defensive tackle 6-4 | 345	(83) Against the run, he has the size and strength to stack it up quickly. He is effective occupying blocks and letting linebackers fill quickly from behind. He's versatile enough to be used from a 2-point or 3-point stance.
4. Jason Brown Center 6-3 | 320	(78) Brown is a strong, big, wide-bodied interior offensive lineman with a very thick lower body that makes him difficult to move backward. His stock should continue to rise.
5. Chris McAlister Cornerback 6-1 | 210	(78) He is an experienced starting cornerback with good size, quickness and body control. He is not always eager to make plays when the ball carrier is in traffic, but he can handle the edge responsibilities.
Player grading scale: Elite (90-100), outstanding (80-89), solid starter (75-79), good starter (70-74)

SCOUTS INC.'S ANALYSIS

Best play option The Ravens' defense is known for its creativity, but it's a simple delayed blitz that is one of its most effective plays. More best plays

Strengths

Veteran leadership: Players such as Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and many others on this team know what it takes to win and are not bashful about asserting their beliefs to their teammates. Few teams in the NFL have such strong personalities in the locker room. This, plus two veteran coordinators, makes new coach John Harbough's transition much easier.

Interior offensive line: Guards Ben Grubbs and Marshal Yanda and center Jason Brown do not get a lot of publicity, but this threesome has a chance to be exceptional. Grubbs, a first-round pick in 2007, should improve by leaps and bounds. It's important these three play well because the Ravens are weak at tackle. The Ravens' interior running game should be the backbone of this offense.

Defensive front seven: There are some great players in Baltimore's front seven. Looking at the starters, only strongside linebacker Jarret Johnson should be considered subpar, and he could give way to upfield terror Antwaan Barnes. Everyone in this group brings versatility, allowing creative defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to continually throw new looks at opposing offenses.

Weaknesses

Quarterback: This is an obvious weakness. Troy Smith has a chance to surprise, and rookie Joe Flacco is dripping with potential. But overall, this position has to be considered a serious short-term weakness. Until someone emerges who frightens defensive coordinators, RB Willis McGahee will consistently find safeties walking up into the box to stop the run.

Cornerbacks: Ryan is an aggressive playcaller who likes to bring pressure from all angles, but he often was handcuffed by poor cornerback play in 2007. Samari Rolle's play has fallen off, and he is a durability concern.

Age and injuries: While Ozzie Newsome has done a very solid job building through the draft, the core of this team is up in years, and Baltimore has several injury-prone players, including TE Todd Heap, DE Trevor Pryce and Rolle. The problem is that there just isn't a lot of depth behind them.

Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles.