Final Report

Riley Nowakowski was the unsung hero of Indiana's run for the ages. While much of the league will view him as a fullback because of his height, he absolutely can and should be used as an in-line TE. Nowakowski, who switched to TE in Indiana's 11 personnel offense after playing FB at Wisconsin, was one of the best in-line blockers in the entire country last season. Indiana's coordinators sure knew it, leaning on a downhill run game that frequently put him into 1v1 contact with DEs on the playside. His handwork and anchor to prop guys out on base blocks, as well as his drive and leverage to wash them down inside off the edge, were big for an Indiana team that needed clear bounce lanes on duo runs. He's one of the few guys at the position who really dominates opponents consistently. You just need to roll the tape in the Alabama game to see how consistently their guys were getting smoked out of the C gap by 37. As a receiver, he's not entirely a zero, though he isn't a major part of the meat of your passing game. He can chip and catch checkdowns, possessing a little RB-type elusiveness in addition to pretty solid speed. He can slip into the flat and generally be an okay detachment threat, whether at FB or the Y. Like Patric Ricard under Todd Monken, I expect him to oscillate between the two roles depending on who else is in the game. While Kyle Jusczyck doesn't play truly in-line the way Nowakowski can, I see the overall role as somewhat similar. He can be a useful piece for an offense with a creative run game.

Recommended Position

TE

Round Grade

6th

Player Comp

Kyle Juszczyk

Scheme Fits