Cameron Lyons, Long Snapper
Height: 6-foot | Weight: 225 pounds
2022 Stats: One assisted tackle
*At UNC-Charlotte
Cameron Lyons, who made a career for himself in the college ranks as a long snapper, hopes to continue on that path in the NFL. Signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent after a college career that included stints at Akron and then UNC-Charlotte, Lyons was named a Special Teams U Honorable Mention All-America long snapper for the 2022-23 draft class and a 2021 Honorable Mention All-Conference USA.
Last year, Lyons, who handled long-snapping duties for punts, PATs, and field goals for Charlotte, produced one tackle and many pristine snaps. Charlotte was a perfect 36-of-36 in PATs and ranked fourth in the NCAA in punt return defense (2.11/ret.); opponents returned just nine punts for 19 yards.
In 2021, Lyons was an honorable Mention All-Conference USA at long snapper. He appeared in 11 of the 12 games in his first season at Charlotte, his lone missed game due to injury. That season, the 49ers punt unit ranked first in C-USA and 10th in FBS in punt return defense, allowing just 2.75 yards per return.
A highly intelligent football player who earned academic honors throughout his college career, there was initially thought that Lyons might push incumbent Casey Kreiter for the long-snapper role. However, special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey downplayed that there will be a competition this summer between Kreiter and Lyons.
"It's not so much of a competition. I think it's more of a good, young player that we identified that can develop over time," McGaughey said.
"Obviously, (long snapper) Casey (Kreiter) is a veteran guy. He’s been around for a long time, and to be able to save him and be able to develop a guy at the same time as giving another guy some breaks because he snaps a lot of balls. Casey’s a hard worker, and he's a great teammate and a great leader. But Cam Lyons is definitely a very talented young snapper."
Best Case Scenario
Lyons sounds like someone the Giants want to develop for when they decide to move on from the 32-year-old Kreiter. Thus at best, with a solid training camp, Lyons will land on the practice squad where he'll serve as an apprentice being kept at the ready should something happen with Kreiter this season.
Worst Case Scenario
If Lyons isn't what the Giants thought he was, he'll end up on waivers, his potential practice squad spot going to someone else.
What to Expect in 2023
Lyons' snaps have enough quickness to them and are, more often than not, right on the money, which helps with the timing of the kicking operation. With the Giants willing to give Kreiter a chance to bounce back from last season's ups and downs, Lyons appears to be a player the Giants hope to stash on the practice squad for the future.
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