Cardinals draft pick Michal Menet ‘ready to attack his role 110%’
May 5, 2021, 4:26 PM
Offensive lineman Michal Menet #62 of the Penn State Nittany Lions walks out to the field for the second half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Washington Huskies at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Nittany Lions defeated the Huskies 35-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Arizona Cardinals used two picks on offense in the NFL Draft, adding to the line with Penn State center and two-year captain Michal Menet.
The 6-foot-4, 301-pound lineman didn’t shy away in saying he had to do a little background on the organization after being picked in the seventh round. But there was one player he already knew in former starting center A.Q. Shipley.
Meeting the four-year Cardinals starter and fellow seventh-round Nittany Lion during Penn State’s practice for the 2017 Fiesta Bowl, Menet gained some critical knowledge about the next level. He’s ready to put that to the test.
“He kinda told us his story and what all he went through to get there in his career and it just goes to show you that it doesn’t really matters where you’re drafted,” Menet said. “It matters what you bring to a team or what you bring to an organization and what you’re willing to do every day to improve. That’s just my main focus, show up everyday with the mentality of trying to get better.”
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While Menet sits behind offseason acquisition Rodney Hudson on the depth chart, the former Nittany Lion could see himself moving around from center and guard.
The versatility is something the Cardinals could use at guard, with J.R. Sweezy a free agent and not much backing up soon-to-be nine-year veteran Justin Pugh. Brian Winters, also in his ninth season, and Justin Murray figure to compete for the starting right guard spot.
Menet spent time at both positions in college, originally starting out as a guard for the first year and a half before switching to center his second season and is comfortable in either.
“Whatever my role is on the team, I’m just gonna look to attack that 110%,” Menet said.
EXTRA POINTS
Menet on being adding to the OL group chat: “It’s all been lighthearted so far, guys sending me some snack orders and stuff like that that I’ll get when I get out to Arizona. Just all very fun, lighthearted.”
Menet on the change of scenery from Penn State to the desert: “I think one of the biggest adjustments for me is going to be the heat. Everybody says it’s a dry heat, but honestly I don’t really know what that means, so I think that will be a big adjustment.”
