The Buffalo Bills currently have one punter on their roster in Mitch Wishnowsky. With the NFL Draft coming up, it may be the time to look for some competition for Wishnowsky, who was re-signed to a one-year deal back in March.
Unfortunately, Wishnowsky was not up to speed to carry the team out of the lower half of the league with a net punting average of 41.0 yards/punt, which ranked him 14th in the league. After an average season, the Bills could look to give the aging vet some competition this offseason via the NFL Draft.
Local prospect who could give Bills an interesting punter competition
On April 10, the Bills hosted a local pro day showcasing the talents of any top prospects who played college ball in New York State. As per New York Upstate's Ryan Talbot, one of those participants was Syracuse punter Jack Stonehouse. The big-legged punter met with general manager Brandon Beane, head coach Joe Brady, and other important figures in the Buffalo franchise.
Last year, Stonehouse made the first team All-ACC selection and finished as the ninth-best punter nationally in yards per punt at 47.12. The Syracuse athlete also holds records in program history, as he is currently the college's all-time career punting average record holder with 46.5 yards per punt.
He broke Syracuse's single-season punting record in 2024, but then did it again in 2025 with a career-best 41.7 yards per punt average. After his season was over, Stonehouse was invited to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, where scouts came away impressed with his performance.
The promising punter is also from a family of successful punters, as his father, John, started punting at USC (1992-95), and then signed with the New York Giants as an unrestricted free agent. His cousin Ryan enjoyed three years with the Titans, followed by one year on the Miami Dolphins' practice squad.
NFL.com projected Stonehouse to either be drafted sometime in the seventh round or signed as an undrafted free agent as a rookie. If the Bills bring him in for a punting competition, Stonehouse could beat out Wishnowsky due to his age, stronger punting power, and his ability to pin opponents deep without allowing many touchbacks.
Last time Bills draft punter,
The last time the Bills drafted a punter was in the 2022 NFL Draft. Buffalo took Matt Araiza in the sixth round at No. 180 overall. Believe it or not, he was one of three punters who were drafted that year. But the talented punter never started for the Bills. Shortly after winning the starting role, a lawsuit was filed against Araiza and two former college teammates in 2021. The Bills decided to move on from him, allowing the talented athlete to resolve his legal issues.
In December of 2023, prosecutors stated that criminal charges could not be filed against Araiza as he was not present during the alleged incident, and the lawsuit was dropped. Araiza was reinstated by the NFL and signed with the Kansas Chiefs in February 2024, and is recognized as one of the NFL's top punters.
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