Undrafted WR Max Tomczak Has Chance to Become Bills' Next Tyrell Shavers

Buffalo Bills' wide receiver Tyrell Shavers is a living, breathing example of what can be possible for an undrafted rookie like Max Tomczak.

Shavers, who is currently battling back from a torn ACL suffered this past January, signed an undrafted free agent contract in 2023. After two seasons on the practice squad, he appeared in all 17 games, making three starts, during the 2025 campaign.

While Shavers works to regain his form, Tomczak will have an opportunity to convince the Bills to keep him around after summer. Buffalo reportedly reached an UDFA agreement with the Youngstown State product in the hours immediately following the conclusion of the NFL Draft.

Tomczak will join Shavers and nine other wide receivers on the Bills' 90-man roster, including 2025 UDFA Stephen Gosnell, a Virginia Tech product who spent all of last season on the practice squad.

Sep 21, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Youngstown State Penguins wide receiver Max Tomczak (4) runs after a catch against Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Kyle Louis (9) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

With Buffalo projected to keep no more than six wide receivers on its 53-man roster, and potentially a few more in a practice squad capacity, Tomczak faces an uphill battle to stick around. As Shavers and Gosnell have shown, however, it's certainly a winnable battle, and Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox likes Tomczak's odds of prevailing.

Identifying "Every NFL Team's 2026 Undrafted Free Agent Most Likely to Make the Roster," Knox speculated that there could be an opening for Tomczak amongst the Bills' receiving corps.

"While Buffalo insists that it's keeping disappointing 2024 second-round pick Keon Coleman, it may still have room for Max Tomczak," said Knox, noting that the undrafted rookie has a "combination of size and physical traits to be a solid possession receiver at the pro level."

Tomczak, who is the nephew of former NFL veteran quarterback Mike Tomczak, totaled 3,024 receiving yards over his YSU tenure, which included a program-record 46 consecutive games with a catch streak.

This Generation's Donald Jones?

Should he survive, Tomczak wouldn't be the first Youngstown State undrafted free agent wide receiver to make his mark with the Bills.

In 2010, the Bills signed YSU product Donald Jones to a UDFA deal. Jones, who totaled 1,300 receiving yards in two seasons for Youngstown, proceeded to play 35 games for Buffalo over a three-year span. He recorded 882 receiving yards and six TD receptions on 82 catches.

Jones, a New Jersey native, spent time as a WGR radio co-host following his early retirement from football due to kidney disease.

Jones was actually one of three undrafted rookie wide receivers to earn a spot on the 2010 Bills' 53-man roster, joining Florida's David Nelson and University at Buffalo's Naaman Roosevelt.

Oct 9, 2011; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Donald Jones (19) gets tackled by Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Joselio Hanson (21) after a catch during the first quarter at Ralph Wilson Stadium. | Kevin Hoffman-Imagn Images

Bills' WRs under contract

DJ Moore

Khalil Shakir

Keon Coleman

Joshua Palmer

Mecole Hardman

Trent Sherfield

Jalen Virgil

Stephen Gosnell

Skyler Bell (R)

Max Tomczak (R)

Ja'Mori Maclin (R)

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