The following is the fourth of eight installments that break down team needs and possible strategies as we prepare for the 2003 NFL Draft.

In this edition, we break down the AFC North, the division that holds the team with the draft's No. 1 pick.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals can't take David Klingler or Akili Smith, Ki-Jana Carter or Reinard Wilson. They have a new coach who appears like he'll be the right man to break the dreaded Bengals curse.

But the direction they choose with the first pick in the draft will go a long way in making sure the next few years will be the Marvin Lewis Era and not the Marvin Lewis Error.

Conventional wisdom has the Bengals drafting Southern California quarterback Carson Palmer and allowing him to sit and watch while Jon Kitna builds on last year's late success (the Bengals were the only team in the NFL last season to have four receivers pull in 40 or more passes each).

But before taking him or another prospect, the Bengals should do everything in their power to trade down to pick up additional selections and/or players. Cincy has had a number of past fiascos to scare them out of the top slot and the obligatory misfire that has cost enough small fortunes in years gone by.

Needs: CB, SS, FB, OG, C, QB future

The team's No. 1 need not listed is the urgency to get the No. 1 pick in the draft signed before draft day, if they don't trade it away. Lewis told SportsLine.com at February's Indianapolis scouting combine that being able to nail down a deal before the draft might come into play into making the selection.

The Bengals have had a revolving door at the corner position for years and a solid shut-down corner is a must have, even after they signed Tory James. They also lost the league's best blocking lead blocker in Lorenzo Neal and must upgrade the interior of the blocking wall as well.

When Sunday ends and Mr. Irrelevant has found his relevance:

In a utopian football world, the Bengals would either draft Palmer or trade down in the first round and trade away running back Corey Dillon. This is not to say he is on the trading block, but enough is enough already. Dillon has often made his negative feelings about the organization known and once again decided to skip the team's minicamp -- despite the hiring of the player-friendly Lewis. At a time when Cincy needs their Pro Bowlers to lead by example, Dillon has let them down. The team should eat any cap ramifications a trade would lead to and offer him to a team in need of a proven back before the start of the draft. This is no longer Dillon's team. It's Lewis'.

Baltimore Ravens

If the numerous reports predicting the Ravens' draft are to be believed, they might as well inscribe Byron Leftwich's name on the card today. Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome is said to covet the Marshall quarterback, while coach Brian Billick has made little secret to those close to him he is a fan of Cal's Kyle Boller. The draft, however, is Newsome's baby and it's Billick's job to fit the kids into the family the correct way. The Ravens bucked conventional predictions last year and took Miami safety Ed Reed with their top pick. He has shown true talent, as many Miami DBs tend to do, and once again the Ravens had another solid draft. This Newsome guy has gotten the hang of this draft thing.

His primary problem will be the numbers game. Newsome says the quality of elite talent drops after the first eight players. The Ravens pick? No. 10. Do they make a move up for one of the elite eight?

"We've talked about it," admitted Newsome. "We have 11 picks, so we can do some shopping ourselves. That way we would be guaranteed to get one of the top one, two or three players we like."

Needs: QB, DT, DE, OLB, WR, OL, backup RB

Newsome said last year's anointed throne-bearer Chris Redman, recovering from back surgery, should be ready to throw by the second week of May. Regardless, a new potential starting QB is a need. In addition, the Ravens need to build a better blocking wall for whomever will be taking snaps. Also, a wide receiver is needed to upgrade the offensive threat.

Defensively, the Ravens were the surprise of the league last year. Coordinator Mike Nolan pulled off a masterful job without one of the league's top defender in LB Ray Lewis. But Nolan needs personnel help in order to upgrade the unit. Another corner, a bona fide pass-rushing prospect and an interior lineman would be a big help.

When Sunday ends and Mr. Irrelevant has found his relevance:

"We need to get some help on the defensive line, find a pass rusher, for us that's an outside linebacker, another safety and if the right one is there, a quarterback," Newsome said.

Ideally, the Ravens will walk away with the man who will put to the quarterback position to rest once and for all.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns had been building an expansion franchise into a playoff contender but a funny thing happened along the way -- they fell into cap traps caused by past spending. Cleveland has hardly built on its 9-7 postseason team from 2002 and released a lot of its talent this offseason, including the entire starting linebacking corps. Gone are Jamir Miller, Dwayne Rudd, Earl Holmes, etc. ... and the high hopes the Browns took into last season. Thus, the 2003 draft is nothing short of crucial if Cleveland hopes to return to playoff paydays.

Needs: CB, OG, C, S, LB

Despite the signing of Barry Gardner from the Eagles, the Browns are relying on a handful of youngsters to fill the vacancy signs in the linebacker unit. The Browns need to go with interior line help early as both guards slated to start are more utility-type players than bona fide starters. In addition, second-year man Melvin Fowler will be looked upon to replace Dave Wohlabaugh at center. Iowa's Eric Steinbach would be a perfect fit in Round 1 as he is the top-rated guard available and also projects as a tackle on many teams' boards.

The cornerback position must be addressed early as both projected starters might be better off as nickel backs. An upgrade is a must.

When Sunday ends and Mr. Irrelevant has found his relevance:

The Browns' phone will hopefully ring with a team making a decent offer for one of their starting quarterbacks, Tim Couch and Kelly Holcomb. Couch has talent but has had difficulties living up to the hype the first overall pick in the draft brings.

Last year, Browns sources admitted Holcombe was more comfortable running the offense and was willing to make smarter gambles. But Couch rebounded nicely and showed he can be a solid starting quarterback. They can also shop one of their running backs now that William Green has solidified their backfield.

The Browns need to come out of this draft with at least two offensive linemen, two defensive backs and a linebacker. They need half of them to transition into solid eventual upgrades.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have done a masterful job year in and year out of replacing talent lost via free agency. Pittsburgh's cupboards are perennially raided and their scouting department annually bails them out. This year, they march into foreign territory as they can simply utilize the draft to upgrade overall depth and grab early draft talent for the few needs the Steelers have (aside from secondary).

Needs: CB, SS, FS, QB, RB, OT

The team's most glaring need is the overall secondary unit. Defensive coordinator Tim Lewis has done a terrific job masking the defensive backfield as best as anybody could ask. They tried to lure Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson to the Steel City but lost out to the warm Arizona weather. If they go for a second-tiered CB with their top pick, that would allow them to move Chad Scott inside to safety.

Illinois' Eugene Wilson, Oregon State's Dennis Weathersby, Oklahoma's Andre Woolfolk, Tennessee's Julian Battle and Texas A&M's Sammy Davis could be first- or second-round targets for the Steelers.

If they decide to go secondary with their first pick, the optimal selection could be Southern California safety Troy Polamalu. The Trojans defender is an angry linebacker in a safety's body.

The team also needs to find a viable suitor to replace the departed Wayne Gandy.

When Sunday ends and Mr. Irrelevant has found his relevance:

The Steelers will have a quarterback who can be molded into their future, perhaps Texas' Chris Simms. They will also look for a running back to bring some more consistency to a unit currently stuck in a logjam. But overall, they will need to emerge out of the two-day selection bonanza with at least two defensive backs, if not more, and a quarterback -- then simply wait for them to fit right in like the rest of refills have fared.