Riley Nowakowski taken in fifth round of NFL draft; what Pittsburgh Steelers are getting

Riley Nowakowski taken in fifth round of NFL draft; what Pittsburgh Steelers are getting

BLOOMINGTON — The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Indiana football tight end Riley Nowakowski with the No. 169 pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday afternoon.

Nowakowski had a career-year for the Hoosiers with 32 catches for 387 yards with two touchdowns. He also had a pair of rushing touchdowns, including one in the national title game against Miami. The Wisconsin transfer flourished in Bloomington after starting out his career bouncing around the field as a former linebacker and fullback for the Badgers.

He's the first IU tight end drafted since the Carolina Panthers selected Ian Thomas in the fourth round of the 2018 draft.

Indiana football running back Riley Nowakowski highlights

Indiana's coaching staff unlocked Nowakowski's potential as a valuable contributor in the passing game, while relying on him as a tough in-line blocker. He made a critical catch during IU's two-minute drive against Penn State that helped set up Omar Cooper Jr.'s toe-tape touchdown. He also made critical contributions as part of the heavy personnel package the Hoosiers used to dominate Alabama in the Rose Bowl.

Indiana football running back Riley Nowakowski Pro Day results

Nowakowski received a combine invite, but did his testing at Indiana's Pro Day. He posted a 4.66 second 40-yard dash, 33.5-inch vertical jump and 19'11" inch broad jump. He had a 7.34 Relative Athletic Score, a metric that evaluates NFL prospects by comparing their athletic ability to historical data for their specific position. The score ranked 152 out of 567 full backs tested going back to 1987.

Indiana football running back Riley Nowakowski stats