See you soon, Riley!

The Steelers selected Indiana fullback Riley Nowakowski with the 169th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Steelers traded with the Kansas City Chiefs, sending the Chiefs the 161st overall pick (fifth round) and the 249th overall pick (seventh) in exchange for the 169th overall pick (fifth round) and the 210th overall pick (sixth round).

"It was just a very emotional moment, just all the hard work that's gone in throughout the years, all these people here that have supported me throughout the year," said Nowakowski of being with family and friends when he was drafted. "Just being able to celebrate with them and hear my name called is definitely something special."

He appeared in 16 games in 2025, finishing with 32 receptions for 387 yards out of the backfield and two touchdowns. He also had two caries, for two yards, both touchdowns.

"I've been used almost everywhere," said Nowakowski. "I played fullback, I played inline tight end, did a lot of H-back work too. I've done a little bit of everything, and I think that is extremely helpful because I feel comfortable in any position.

"I would say I'm a physical, relentless, just blue collar, gritty guy. I just like to show up to work and get things done. I don't really like to do anything too special. I'm not big on flair or anything. I probably won't have any cool touchdown celebrations. But I'm going to go in there and I'm going to give everything I've got every day. "

He transferred to Indiana from Wisconsin for his final season, where he had a standout year.

"He's shown on tape that he has an ability to navigate through the backfield," said running backs coach Ramon Chinyoung Sr. "But the young man plays with grit. At the end of the day, it's all about will. You've got to be willing to go hunt.

"He's done a lot of great things on tape. He's growing as a backfield blocker. I can't wait to get to work with him."

#HereWeGo #Steelers #NFL

Watch more on Steelers.com

Видео See you soon, Riley! канала Pittsburgh Steelers