Riley Nowakowski TE Indiana |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #37 ROLE: Inline Blocking TE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/28/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.66 seconds (78%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jersey: #37 | |
| ROLE: Inline Blocking TE | |
| Last Updated: 03/28/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.66 seconds (78%*) | |
| Overall Rating: | 80.7 / 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
|
79% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 125.7 | |
| Hands: |
|
86% |
| Short Receiving: |
|
76% |
| Intermediate Routes: |
|
68% |
| Deep Threat: |
|
76% |
| Blocking: |
|
66% |
|
DRAFT PROJECTION:
7th
Overall Rank:
#224
Position rank:
#16 (TE)
|
||
| College Games: 41 College Snaps: 1495 | ||
| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Brenton Strange - Penn State |
|
65% |
| Mason Taylor - LSU |
|
65% |
| Marshon Ford - Louisville |
|
63% |
Drafted: ROUND: 5 - Pick Number: 169 (PIT)
Draft Profile: Bio
A walk-on linebacker at Wisconsin, Nowakowski converted to fullback in 2022 and then made the full-time move to tight end in 2023 after a coaching change eliminated the fullback role. He caught his first career touchdown at Minnesota that junior season and gradually earned more playing time in Madison, appearing in 40 games across five years with limited receiving production: 18 catches for 131 yards entering 2025.The transfer to Indiana changed everything. Nowakowski started all 15 games for the undefeated Hoosiers in 2025, catching 32 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score. He turned into a reliable intermediate target and a dependable blocker at the Y-tight end spot. His 43-yard touchdown on a tight end screen against Illinois and a four-catch, 65-yard performance against his former team Wisconsin stood out as signature moments in a breakout year.
Nowakowski earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the conference media and third-team recognition from the coaches panel. He was named a game captain in seven of Indiana's final nine contests and scored the first touchdown of the College Football Playoff Championship Game against Oregon. He holds a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Wisconsin.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Excellent natural hands that grade among the best in this tight end class.
- Did not drop a single pass on 36 targets during the 2025 season at Indiana.
- Plucks the ball cleanly away from his body and secures through contact at the catch point.
- Outstanding run-after-catch ability, averaging 7.7 YAC per reception in 2025.
- Forced 10 missed tackles as a receiver, showing vision from his running back days.
- Understands leverage and timing as a run blocker with consistent effort to the whistle.
- Allowed just two total pressures across 154 pass-blocking snaps for Indiana.
- Alignment versatility across inline, slot, wide, and fullback looks on film.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Undersized frame at the position limits ceiling as an every-down inline tight end.
- Struggles to separate against man coverage, particularly on vertical routes.
- Lacks burst out of route breaks, giving defenders time to recover.
- Run blocking power can stall at the point of attack against bigger defenders.
- Limited college production before 2025 leaves a thin sample of receiving tape.
Scouting Report: Summary
Nowakowski fits best as an H-back or move tight end in an offense that values versatility over positional purity. His blocking technique holds up on the edge in run schemes, and his pass protection was nearly flawless in 2025, but his size means he will not win consistently inline against NFL defensive ends who carry 40 or 50 pounds on him. The value is in his ability to align in multiple spots and contribute from each one.As a receiver, his hands are the first thing that stands out. Nowakowski caught nearly everything thrown his way in 2025 and showed natural ball-tracking that does not require scheme to translate. The after-catch ability is the other calling card. He averaged over 12 yards per reception and generated most of that yardage after the catch, not through route separation. The question is whether NFL coverage will be as forgiving as what Big Ten defenses occasionally allowed. His depth of target sat around five yards, but his instincts turned those short throws into chunk plays. A staff that schemes touches through screens, play action, and checkdowns can extract real value.
The floor here is a special teams contributor and situational blocker who earns a roster spot through effort and football character. Nowakowski has nearly 500 career special teams snaps and the toughness coaches trust in December. His ceiling is a role similar to what Zach Horton carved out at Indiana before landing with the Lions: a blocking tight end who catches 20 to 30 balls and provides offensive flexibility. The separation limitations cap his receiving upside, but the rest of the package should keep him on a 53-man roster.
Riley Nowakowski percentiles vs other Tight Ends (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Riley Nowakowski (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
194.6
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
18.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.