New York Giants Training Camp Preview - DB Chris Milton

Defensive back Chris Milton comes to the Giants with a reputation as being a special teams dynamo. Is it enough though to help him sneak onto the 53-man roster?

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Jul 1, 2021 2:18 PM EDT

One of the most significant issues on the Giants team of 2020 that isn't getting as much attention as it probably deserves is the play of the special teams unit.

Simply put, the Giants special teams, which everyone assumed would soar to a whole new level following the arrival of head coach Joe Judge, a long-time NFL, and college special teams coach, didn't happen.

The Giants' punt and kickoff return units finished sixth and 16th, respectively, while the punt and kickoff coverage units finished 21st and 16th respectively last season. In 2019, the rankings were much better, the punt and kickoff return teams finishing fourth and 10th while the punt and kickoff coverage units finishing tied for fifth and first.

Injuries were a big part of the decline behind the punt coverage's fall, as the team lost receiver Cody Core, one of their top gunners from 2019, to a preseason Achilles injury and cornerback Antonio Hamilton, the other top gunner, to free agency (Chiefs).

And if you disagree that had something to do with the fall off on special teams, particularly the punt coverage, think again.

"Any time you can have continuity at any spot, whether it be offense, defense, special teams, that's what you want," special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey said last month.

"When you have a lot of turnover, things are different. When you turnover on the offensive line, the chemistry is different. Guys have to learn how to work with each other and what steps they take, and the same thing with the secondary when you're changing out different guys in the secondary, it's the same thing. Guys got to know their strengths and weaknesses. It's no different in special teams.

"It's the same thing when you've got a bunch of moving parts; it's a little harder to be as consistent as you want to be. So yes, it does make a difference but again, any time you can create continuity and consistency, that's what you want."

Enter defensive back Chris Milton, who has been a core special teams performer for the Colts and the Titans and a guy with loads of experience as a gunner.

Milton, a defensive back by trade, joins a growing group of better known players for their special teams' contributions. But just how many of these non-kicking specialists, which includes fullback Cullen Gillaspia and, if he's re-signed as expected, safety Nate Ebner, can the Giants afford to carry?

What He Brings

Milton played in 53 games with 33 starts at Georgia Tech, where he posted 96 tackles, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble, 14 passes defensed, and five interceptions. After going undrafted, he signed with the Colts in May 2016 but failed to make the 53-man roster.

After landing on the Colts' practice squad, Milton was promoted to the 53-man roster on November 19, 2016. He re-signed with the Colts in 2019 but was waived later that year and was claimed by the Titans. But on November 26, 2019, Milton landed on injured reserve.

The following season, Milton failed to make the Titans roster but landed on the Titans practice squad. But he finished out the year on injured reserve and was then released by the Titans this past February.

Milton transitioned to cornerback from strong safety in college, so he's still relatively new to the position, given he hasn't played many snaps at cornerback.

But make no mistake about it: Milton's value is on special teams. In 2013, he blocked three punts for the Yellow Jackets (including one against future Giants punter Riley Dixon when Dixon played for Syracuse), then a school record for a single season.

Milton's quickness allows him to be among the first down the field on punt and kickoff coverage, that speed missing from the Giants special teams last year.

At Georgia Tech, Milton finished with seven career blocked kicks and recorded 82 solo tackles (85.4% of his total career tackles).

His Contract

Milton is signed to a one-year contract and will count for $850,000 against the 2021 Giants salary cap.

Roster Projection/Expectations

Milton's path to the Giants' 53-man roster will be as a gunner, but again, the Giants can only keep so many "special teams only" players on the roster.

But as we saw last year from those "special teams only" players, they're going to be asked to play at their other positions at some point.

With the Giants having a logjam at cornerback and safety, it's hard to see Milton making the final roster unless he recreates his special teams prowess from his college days.

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