Seventh-rounder OL Menet brings versatility to Cards
Michal Menet already passed an important benchmark: He’s been added to the o-line group chat.
The offensive lineman out of Penn State was drafted by the Cardinals in the seventh round with their final pick. Now, ahead of getting out to Arizona, the Pennsylvania native is getting to know his teammates.
“It’s all very fun and lighthearted,” he said.
Next up is seeing where he fits in. Menet played guard his first season and a half at Penn State, before moving to center where he spent the bulk of his college career. Center is where he feels best, but he feels comfortable either way.
“I think I fit well at center or guard, and obviously, I’ll do what the team asks me to do. But I think my natural position is probably center,” he said after the draft.
If the Cardinals have decided exactly where he’ll get his reps, they haven’t relayed that yet.
“We haven’t honestly talked much about that,” he said Wednesday. “We talked about versatility, the fact that I know how to play center and guard. But I’m just gonna try to get better every day, and whatever my role is on the team, just gonna look to attack that.”
After the draft, Cardinals General Manager Steve Keim noted the perennial need for depth on the offense line. Plus, the Cardinals have options, having brought in veteran center Rodney Hudson in March. Menet said he admires many things about Hudson’s game, noting his “quiet authority.”
He knows that this Cardinals offense has the capability to play fast when it’s working. While coach Kliff Kingsbury’s style can be a bit of an adjustment, Menet
welcomes it.
“I love it,” he said. “...Defenses tend to tire out later in the fourth quarter when you’re going fast. But I think it’s also where a lot explosive plays come from. Maybe a guy gets a little bit tired here, and he’s a half step slower or something like that.
“So I’m really excited for it. I have a little bit of background to it, but I don’t think it would be that big of an adjustment for me.”
Instead, he focuses on the adjustments happening right now. He’s starting
to learn more about Arizona, where he has spent some time, but not a ton. He’s looking up places to eat and live. And he’s watching more tape on the Cardinals now that things have settled down a bit post-draft. He did expect to go between the fifth and seventh rounds, but that didn’t make the waiting until pick No. 247 any easier.
“Obviously, draft day is very stressful. I think anybody would say that to you,” he said. “But obviously, it was a huge accomplishment for me and my family, and an awesome moment for us to share.”