The New York Giants have released offensive lineman Ryan Schernecke from the practice squad, the team announced Thursday as part of its latest roster shuffle.
The same day, New York signed cornerback Jaden Robinson to the practice squad. The move ends Schernecke’s first stint with the organization after a short but closely watched developmental stay.
The Giants signed Schernecke as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 NFL Draft, then waived him when they trimmed to 53 players on Aug. 30.
They brought him back the next day as one of the first pieces of the practice squad. That path is common for small-school linemen: keep the body in the building, hope the technique catches up. In Schernecke’s case, the body was always the selling point.
He arrived from Hatboro, Pa., and Upper Moreland High School as an unranked recruit who grew into a 6-foot-8 frame at Kutztown.
Over five seasons, he played 48 games, made multiple all-conference teams, earned second-team Division II All-American honors, and finished fifth in voting for the Gene Upshaw Award given to the top lineman in D-II.
Kutztown went 14-1 in his final season. Scouts liked his size, run-blocking punch, and ability to play both tackle spots. They also flagged raw hand placement and the jump from PSAC competition to the NFL.
New York invested real money in that projection. His undrafted deal included a $35,000 signing bonus and about $282,500 guaranteed — a full practice-squad year’s pay plus the bonus — among the largest guarantees in the Giants’ UDFA class.
The bet was that first-year head coach John Harbaugh’s staff could turn a massive, physical project into a swing tackle. Two and a half weeks into the regular season, that experiment is over, at least in East Rutherford.
Practice-squad spots are scarce once the games start. The Giants have already moved veterans and other developmental pieces on and off the unit, including signing Josh Tupou to the 53-man roster from the practice squad and cycling receivers and defensive backs.
Schernecke’s release frees a spot without changing the active roster picture on the offensive line, where New York has more established depth than in recent years.
For Schernecke, the next step is the waiver wire and other practice squads.
At 23, with rare height and a year of NFL meetings and practice already on his résumé, he remains the kind of long-term tackle project teams keep on speed dial.
The Giants just decided they needed that roster spot for someone else today.
