The New York Giants ended their preseason Saturday, August 24, with a 10-6 loss to the New York Jets. Now, head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen have the task of cutting their roster down to 53 players by Tuesday at 4 p.m. Eastern time. On Sunday, August 25, Daboll and Schoen made the first of those cuts, setting free 10 players, including 2022 draft pick Marcus McKethan.
Marcus McKethan Among 10 Giants Roster Cuts
Daboll announced the Giants’ first round of cuts Sunday during his Zoom call with the media. McKethan, an offensive lineman, was the most high-profile cut.
The Giants took on McKethan in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 173rd overall. He wasn’t able to play during his rookie season due to suffering a torn ACL during training camp. But, McKethan returned to the field last season and played in 16 games with five starts.
During the 2023 season, McKethan played 378 offensive snaps. He earned a 45.4 Pro Football Focus grade, 26.8 in 245 pass-blocking snaps.
Now, the Giants could re-sign McKethan to the practice squad, as they did with fellow 2022 sixth-round pick Darrian Beavers, who was last year. If the Giants totally cut Daboll loose, he’ll be the first Schoen draft pick to part ways with the team.
In addition to McKethan, the Giants have cut DL Kyler Baugh, CB Breon Borders, CB Christian Holmes, DB Clayton Isbell, WR John Jiles, RB Joshua Kelley, LB Trey Kiser, RB Lorenzo Lingard and WR Ayir Asante. A few hours following the initial 10 cuts, DT Timmy Horne and DB Jonathan Sutherland were also added to the cuts.
During the Sunday Zoom call with press, Daboll also announced that defensive tackle Timmy Horne suffered a torn Achilles tendon against the New York Jets preseason game on Saturday.
Inside Marcus McKethan’s Time with the Giants
With McKethan playing in 16 games last season, it gave NFL analysts and fans time to see how he performed in the NFL. In September 2023, Gene Clemons of Sports Illustrated published a piece with the highs and lows of McKethan’s time of the field.
Among McKethan greatest strengths, according to Clemons, was his run blocking.
“When you come from a program that leaned into the run game because they had you out there, that should probably translate to the NFL immediately,” Clemons wrote. “There is no surprise that is the case for McKethan. He has all the tools as a run blocker to be a high-level road grader in the league. He has just enough athleticism that it allows him to pull and climb to the second level. He also has the power and explosion to cause major impacts when he strikes defenders.”
Among McKethan’s biggest weaknesses, Clemons said, was his “inconsistent balance in pass pro.”
“Although McKethan has a punch that can jolt a defender and get them off rhythm, if the punch is ineffective, he is inconsistent with his weight in pass protection,” Clemons noted. “The result is that defenders can get him off balance during pass pro in many ways. He is sometimes top-heavy and finds himself leaning “over trying” to block. That is when defenders take advantage of using his momentum against him.”
