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Steelers draft Jonnu Smith replacement: How Indiana's Riley Nowakowski solves need in TE depth chart
TL;DR
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Indiana's Riley Nowakowski with the 170th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to fill the tight end position left vacant by Jonnu Smith's release.
Key points
- Steelers released Jonnu Smith this offseason
- Riley Nowakowski was selected in the 2026 NFL Draft
- Nowakowski is a national champion from Indiana
Mentioned in this story
Jonnu SmithIndiana
Riley NowakowskiPittsburgh SteelersNFL Draft
Steelers draft Jonnu Smith replacement: How Indiana's Riley Nowakowski solves need in TE depth chart originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Pittsburgh Steelers released Jonnu Smith this offseason, but they didn't leave his TE depth chart spot open for long.
With the 170th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, they chose Indiana national champion Riley Nowakowski.
The pick was announced by Michael Keaton:
It also fits in a great way.
2026 NFL DRAFT HQ:Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Best players still available
How Riley Nowakowski fits Steelers' TE depth chart
Pittsburgh still has Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth.
Nowakowski is different, though. He fits the Jonnu role.
Jonnu was used all over the field for the Steelers in 2025.
At Indiana, en route to a national championship, Nowakowski did similar things.
BEST DRAFT NAMES:Ephesians Prysock | | |
Q&A
Who did the Steelers draft to replace Jonnu Smith?
The Steelers drafted Riley Nowakowski from Indiana to replace Jonnu Smith.
What pick did the Steelers use to select Riley Nowakowski?
The Steelers selected Riley Nowakowski with the 170th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
What position does Riley Nowakowski play?
Riley Nowakowski plays the tight end position.
