Indiana tight end Riley Nowakowski has been selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft at No. 169 overall.
Nowakowski is the sixth IU player taken in the draft, joining Fernando Mendoza (Las Vegas), Omar Cooper Jr. (New York Jets), D’Angelo Ponds (Jets), Kaelon Black (San Francisco), and Eljiah Sarratt (Baltimore).
Nowakowski transferred to Indiana last season from Wisconsin and enjoyed a breakout season. He entered Bloomington seen as a block-first tight end, but proved to be a two-way threat at the position. He caught 32 passes for 387 yards with two touchdowns last year, and he also scored two rushing touchdowns — including one in the national championship game.
The Milwaukee native was still an effective blocker while doing all that, often doing the sort of dirty work that leads to winning football.
Nowakowski will compete for opportunities in Pittsburgh with Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, with the latter entering the final year of his contract.
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