New York Giants 2024 Training Camp Preview: P Jamie Gillan

Can Jamie Gillan continue to improve in his third season as a Giant?

The New York Giants have leaned on Jamie Gillan to flip the field for the defense for the past two seasons. He joined the team in 2022 after spending his first three years in Cleveland.

Gillan was known for launching big punts, including a 71-yard punt during his rookie season. Over the next two seasons, he experienced some consistency issues. He saw his average yards per punt drop over two yards from his rookie season, and the Browns decided to move on.

After joining New York, Gillan rediscovered the success he enjoyed in his first season with the Browns. Nicknamed the Scottish Hammer by his high school coach thanks to his Scottish roots, Gillan’s attendance at an HBCU helped shape him for the challenges he’d face at the NFL level.

Given the Giants’ offense’s struggles, Gillan has been kept busy. After punting a season-high 63 times in Cleveland, the last two seasons have seen Gillan punt 74 and 95 times for the Giants.

Yet despite the increased workload, his production remained high. He excelled with hangtime and his net punt average was over 40 yards per punt this past season. Sixty-one of his punts have been downed inside the 20-yard line, and he’s only had one punt blocked over the past two seasons.

One of the things former special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughet implemented on the punt team when Gillan arrived was a rugby-style punt that allowed Gillan, who has a rugby background, to feel more comfortable in certain high-leverage or pressure situations.

That helped increase his consistency when the stakes were high, and it kept punt return units guessing what was coming next.

Now in his third year with the Giants and first with new special teams coordinator Michael Ghorbrial, Gillan will need to take the next step in his game, which comes back to consistency.