With the 169th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Steelers selected fullback Riley Nowakowski out of Indiana.
Nowakowski, 23, is 6-2 and weighs 250 pounds. At the Combine, he recorded a 4.66 40-yard dash and 9-foot-11 broad jump. While Nowakowski was listed as a tight end, the Steelers are listing him as a fullback, taking advantage of his ability to play fullback, H-back and tight end. In other words, he's the new Connor Heyward. In fact, Nowakowski and Heyward are both represented by the same agency, so they're familiar with each other.
"He's definitely talked about his role, and I watched him a lot last year, just being kind of an H-back, similar to what I do a little bit," Nowakowski said via conference call. "Hopefully, I can expand it and do as much as I can for the offense."
Of course, with Mike McCarthy coming in and bringing in his offense that's usually featured a lot of three-receiver sets, the initial question is how much the fullback will be featured.
"Coach is a smash mouth football guy. I would envision that the role for the fullback is to be versatile, to be able to help the team in multiple ways," said running backs coach Ramon Chinyoung Sr. "We're talking offensively right now, but this is a four core special teams player that's gonna be able to have team value because of what he brings to the entire team. Ultimately, whether it's a fullback, whether it's a tight end or a running back, your job is to find ways to bring value to the team. And so, I definitely envision us utilizing the position often."
After playing five seasons at Wisconsin, Nowakowski transferred to Indiana in 2025 and immediately became a team captain. With the Hoosiers, he caught 32 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns, then added two carries for two yards and two touchdowns.
THE ASYLUM
Fifth round: Riley Nowakowski, fullback, Indiana
With the 169th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Steelers selected fullback Riley Nowakowski out of Indiana.
Nowakowski, 23, is 6-2 and weighs 250 pounds. At the Combine, he recorded a 4.66 40-yard dash and 9-foot-11 broad jump. While Nowakowski was listed as a tight end, the Steelers are listing him as a fullback, taking advantage of his ability to play fullback, H-back and tight end. In other words, he's the new Connor Heyward. In fact, Nowakowski and Heyward are both represented by the same agency, so they're familiar with each other.
"He's definitely talked about his role, and I watched him a lot last year, just being kind of an H-back, similar to what I do a little bit," Nowakowski said via conference call. "Hopefully, I can expand it and do as much as I can for the offense."
Of course, with Mike McCarthy coming in and bringing in his offense that's usually featured a lot of three-receiver sets, the initial question is how much the fullback will be featured.
"Coach is a smash mouth football guy. I would envision that the role for the fullback is to be versatile, to be able to help the team in multiple ways," said running backs coach Ramon Chinyoung Sr. "We're talking offensively right now, but this is a four core special teams player that's gonna be able to have team value because of what he brings to the entire team. Ultimately, whether it's a fullback, whether it's a tight end or a running back, your job is to find ways to bring value to the team. And so, I definitely envision us utilizing the position often."
After playing five seasons at Wisconsin, Nowakowski transferred to Indiana in 2025 and immediately became a team captain. With the Hoosiers, he caught 32 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns, then added two carries for two yards and two touchdowns.
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