Chiefs Vs. Falcons Preseason: What To Expect From The Rookies

The Kansas City Chiefs rookies will make their NFL debut on Friday night against the Atlanta Falcons.

For some of them, like Cameron Sheffield, there won't be a lot of fanfare. For others, like Eric Berry, the sports world has been awaiting this moment.

Here's a quick look at what to expect from the rookies as well as questions I have about all of them.

S Eric Berry: There's no doubt the Chiefs plan to have him start at safety for a decade but they'll settle for his first preseason game. There's not expected to be a huge learning curve with him. He's there physically and the entire Chiefs team has picked up the defensive language in the spring to he should be ready to play and play well right off the bat. I don't expect many mistakes from him even in his first game.

Questions: How often does he play close to the line of scrimmage? Does he deter guys from going across the middle of the field? Can he cover?

WR Dexter McCluster: There's no doubt McCluster's electric in a camp-like setting. Now he's gotta prove it on the field. The Chiefs aren't trying to hype him up too much so it's possible he doesn't see a lot of playing time even though he's a rookie and could use it. He'll line up the most at receiver.

Questions: Do the Chiefs hide him a bit? How much do they play him at positions other than receiver?

CB Javier Arenas: He's solid and will play nickelback, presumably on the first team. Like Berry, he's expected to be ready early. He's smart and understands the defense so I see him playing well early. He's very physical and isn't afraid to bump chests with others. Like they said about him, 'He treats every day like the Super Bowl' so I expect high effort.

Questions: Does he play exclusively at slot? Can he be physical while staying in control?

G Jon Asamoah: He's going to be a reserve guard in 2010, which means he should see some good time in this preseason game. It's hard to evaluate these offensive linemen in training camp settings so we're really looking for the whole package from him. It would be nice if he could get tested early with the first team because the strength of the Falcons is in the interior defense.

Questions: Does he play right or left guard? How does he handle run blocking vs. pass blocking?

TE Tony Moeaki: His status is questionable because he suffered a minor injury last Saturday. It's possible he doesn't even play but if he does we expect him to be the best pass-catching tight end on the roster. That's part of the reason he was drafted so that's what he needs to show quickly.

Questions: Will he play? How does he recover from a minor injury? What's his role on running plays?

S Kendrick Lewis: He may see quite a bit of time because he's currently second team to Jon McGraw. The coaching staff might be thinking hard about giving him the starting role so this is very, very important for him. The Chiefs know what they have in McGraw so Lewis should be able to show his superior athleticism because that's his biggest advantage over McGraw.

Questions: Does he understand his role on the defense? Any mental mistakes? Can he cover well?

OLB Cameron Sheffield: We're expecting him to have a decent night. He's done well in the last week, especially at the intra-squad scrimmage, of getting to the quarterback. He'll be going against second and third teamers so he should be able to show some ability to get to the quarterback.

Questions: How fast is he off the edge? How does he look in coverage?