Former UNC football offensive lineman Marcus McKethan released by the New York Giants

As NFL teams look to trim their rosters down to 53 players over the next few days, a former UNC football player has already been impacted.

The New York Giants made a handful of initial cuts on Sunday, as former Tar Heel Marcus McKethan was among them.

McKethan was selected in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Giants as part of Joe Schoen's first draft class as the general manager of the franchise. He was one of two Tar Heel offensive lineman selected by the Giants in that draft class, as Josh Ezeudu was also brought to East Rutherford to compete for a roster spot.

The former Tar Heel missed his entire rookie season due to a torn ACL, and returned in 2023 to play in 16 games. He was called upon to start five games for the Giants last season, seeing playing time at both left and right guard.

Unfortunately, McKethan struggled in his first season of NFL action, as he was a part of one of the worst offensive lines in the entire league. He played a total of 378 offensive snaps, as he posted a disappointing 45.4 grade (according to Pro Football Focus).

Leading up to final roster cuts, McKethan's roster spot was certainly in jeopardy, as he may end up staying with the team as part of the practice squad. However, he will also look to see if any current NFL opportunities present itself, as he'll hope to prove he can still be a very consistent and capable offensive lineman that comes with some professional experience under his belt.