We study Riesz bases/Riesz sequences of reproducing kernels in the model space Kθ in connection with the corresponding Schur–Nevanlinna parameters and functions. In particular, we construct inner functions with given Schur–Nevanlinna parameters at a given sequence Λ such that the corresponding systems of projections of reproducing kernels in the model space are complete/non-complete. Furthermore, we give a compactness criterion for Hankel operators with symbol θB‾, where θ is an inner function and B is an interpolating Blaschke product, and use this criterion to describe the Riesz bases KΛ,θ with limλ∈Λ,|λ|→1θ(λ)=0.