Predicting Winner of the Buffalo Bills' Punter Competition at Training Camp

The Bills brought in seventh-round pick Tommy Doman Jr. to compete with veteran Mitch Wishnowsky this offseason.

Florida place kicker Tommy Doman Jr. (PK01) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It’s time for a changing of the guard for the Buffalo Bills punters.

Mitch Wishnowsky performed well a season ago after taking over following an injury sustained by his predecessor, Cameron Johnston, in Week 4 of the 2025 season. There wasn’t much to complain about when it came to Wishnowsky’s performance, which included a role as the team’s holder on field goals and even a brief stint as a kickoff specialist.

However, with seventh-round pick Tommy Doman Jr. now in the fold, the 2026 No. 239 overall pick will receive every opportunity to seize the first-team role out of training camp.

The Bills showed their desire to move forward with a young punter when they selected former sixth-round pick Matt Araiza in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, things didn’t work out with the “Punt God” and now they are set to give another youngster an opportunity to lock down a starting role.

Doman Jr. was one of the best punters in the country in 2025

Florida punter Tommy Doman (19) kicks during Pro Day at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Doman Jr. recorded a Pro Football Focus punt grade of 92.2 during the 2025 season. That was the second-best grade of 209 punters evaluated by the analytical outlet. He was first in hang time average [4.52 seconds], according to PFF, while he pinned his opponents inside the 20-yard line 19 times on 50 attempts, good enough for a rate of 38%.

He finished inside the top-50 in punting average with a mark of 44 yards during his final collegiate campaign. Doman Jr. will be 24 years old as a rookie and should represent the future at the position.

That is, if he can outduel Wishnowsky at training camp.

Wishnowsky is coming off a solid season with the Bills

Buffalo Bills punter Mitch Wishnowsky kicks the ball downfield during second half action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bills veteran punter was no slouch in his first season in Buffalo, beginning his stretch in Week 5. He was graded in the middle of the pack with a 71.2 punt grade from PFF, while his net punting average of 41.9 yards per punt ranked 14th in the NFL. He averaged 4.44 seconds of hang time, which led to a league-low 11 returns against him. Opponents’ return average of 16.3 yards was also the lowest in the NFL.

Wishnowsky isn’t getting any younger, as he turned 34 years old this offseason. While he showed he has a bit left in the tank a year ago, it would be wise for the Bills to move forward with a player better-suited to serve as the team’s long-term option, which should give Doman Jr. a leg up in the upcoming puntapalooza.

The veteran signed a one-year deal, $1.4 million deal with the Bills on Mar. 13, but it’s by no means a deal that handcuffs Buffalo. If the team feels Doman Jr. does enough during training camp, they would be able to move on from the seven-year pro.

And I think they will. Doman Jr.’s hang time was even more impressive than Wishnowsky’s last season, and if he can prove to be the better directional punter at training camp, that would all but cement his spot on the roster.

The one question remaining is how he will gel with kicker Tyler Bass as the holder on field goals. But once he checks that box, I believe he will prove to be the better option leading into Week 1.