Keenan

Lewis

Wallace will be guaranteed $2.7 million under the first-round tender. Along with Baltimore’s Lardarius Webb, he’s expected to test a restricted free agent market that hasn’t seen an NFL team successfully sign an offer sheet at the first-round level in a decade. The other five Steelers are believed to have been tendered at the lowest level available to the team.

“We drafted them a year ago with the potential of these things in mind,” said Tomlin. Keenan Lewis is first up on the depth chart, however, after impressing as the nickel back last season. While Tomlin is giving the early “nod” to Lewis, all three are in the mix.

A 2009 third-round pick, Lewis impressed on the practice field his first two seasons before taking over as Pittsburgh’s nickel back last year, playing left cornerback whenever opponents went three wide. With William Gay gone to Arizona, Lewis will likely take over as the team’s full-time left corner.

Taking over Bryant McFadden’s starting job, Gay had a nice bounce-back season before allowing a 30-yard TD to Eddie Royal in the playoff loss. The Steelers are impressed with nickel corner Keenan Lewis, though, and may look to expand his role with Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen entering in sub-packages. McFadden is not expected back.

Lewis has reportedly had a “strong camp” and “impressed coaches” with his knowledge of the scheme. He’ll start the season ahead of Cortez Allen, who slides in as the nickel back behind RCB Ike Taylor and Lewis.

A 2009 third-round pick, Lewis received extensive playing time last season, but will need to beat out second-year CBs Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen in training camp. The Steelers also drafted Terrence Frederick as a special teams and slot corner prospect. Allen spent the majority of 2011 as a healthy scratch.

The 2009 third-rounder, a nickelback last season, will first have to beat out Cortez Allen and Curtis Brown for the starting job opposite Ike Taylor. “I am expecting a whole lot out of Keenan Lewis,” Taylor said. “Around here, the expectations are sky high for him.”

Taylor extended a fourth-quarter drive with a holding penalty in Thursday’s loss and allowed a 5-yard touchdown to Kenny Britt. He was also picked on for a 31-yard pass and the P.I. penalty, which led to a pair of first-quarter field goals. It wouldn’t be quite so bad if Taylor was making plays. First-time starter Keenan Lewis has outplayed the declining 32-year-old this season.

“The arrow’s been pointing up with Keenan,” Tomlin said. “He’s been consistently challenging and competing on just about every throw. ... He’s a big reason why we’ve been hot in the back end in recent weeks.” The Steelers have allowed an average of 129 passing yards to Andy Dalton, Robert Griffin III, and Eli Manning over the past three weeks.

McFadden is officially questionable, but the Steelers are strongly considering going with either Keenan Lewis or William Gay opposite Ike Taylor after McFadden practiced “sparingly” on Friday. McFadden missed the entire preseason with a groin injury before coming down with his hamstring ailment.