Steelers Draft Riley Nowakowski: A Gritty Addition

0:00It's April 25th, from breaking news to Sunday matchups. This is NFL News Today, powered by AI. The Pittsburgh Steelers grab Indiana Tideon Riley-Noah Kowski in the 5th round of the 2026 NFL draft. As 6.2 and 250 pounds, he's built like a fullback but lines up at Tideon 2. Coming off Indiana's national championship run, this guy's got that winner vibe and versatility for special teams. He's lost John Usmith in free agency and didn't bring back Connor Hayward, so they needed depth at Tideon and fullback. No Kowski steps in to fill that Hayward role, blocking heavy and a power run scheme while catching underneath passes. Last season he had 32 receptions, more than his first four college years combined. Staff reactions are all over the map on this pick. Some love it as a perfect fit for Mike McCarthy's offense, calling him a meat and potatoes blocker with tackle breaking hands that Aaron Rodgers would, dig. Others see it as just okay, more need than value, especially after drafting a return

1:03specialist before him. Critics point out he's not super fast or a big receiving threat, more of a straight-ahead grinder. But fans of the pick highlight his championship pedigree and multi-role potential, even lining up under center for short yardage pushes. Grades range from C- to A-double-plus. Bottom line, this shores up the Steelers' ground game as they lean into gap power running. Noah Kowski feels like a smart mid-round ad for a team building around grit.