It might just be the preseason, but the Ravens defense is ready for a stern test when it hosts the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium.

That’s because the Ravens will get their first look at Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

In his rookie season, Peterson rushed for 1,341 yards behind a powerful offensive line to give the Vikings the best rushing offense in the league. Baltimore’s notoriously tough defense finished second in rush defense in 2007 and will use Saturday’s contest as a measuring stick.

“It’ll be great to go against him, because if he’s not the best back in the league he’s right there with them,” Defensive coordinator Rex Ryan said.

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The Ravens will be without their two big run stoppers in the middle in defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and nose tackle Kelly Gregg, who have sat out a good part of training camp with injuries.

“We’re a little banged up on the defensive line, but it’s going to be a good chance for some of young guys to prove what they can do against a really powerful running attack,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.

The Ravens are loaded with young talent on defense, especially at the safety position where newcomers Jim Leonhard, along with rookies Haruki Nakamura and Tom Zbikowski are battling for playing time. All three will be looking to make a statement against Minnesota in their first home game as Ravens.

“You always want to compete against the best to see where you stack up,” Zbikowski said. “Every preseason game is a chance to prove yourself and show you belong on that 53-man roster.”

Zbikowski, a third-round pick from Notre Dame, was known for his ability to come up and help in the run game during his college career. He had three tackles in his preseason debut against the New England Patriots.

Second-year man Antwan Barnes is also looking forward to his chance to get a crack at Peterson. Barnes said he has spent a good deal of his preseason working on his run block game. He will get a tough test against Minnesota’s linemen, who have been to a combined 11 pro bowls since 2000.

“I think I got it all down pat, so this is a good chance for me to show how much I’ve improved,” he said.

Peterson did not play in the Vikings’ preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks last week and most likely won’t play much more than a quarter on Saturday. Most Ravens are excited to give the star his first lumps of the season, but Ryan knows how tough of a challenge it will be. When asked if he was looking forward to facing off against Peterson he laughed, “Well, not really.”