Michal Menet 2021 NFL Draft Overview
Position: Center
Height: 6’-4”
Weight: 301 pounds
School: Penn State
Michal Menet 2021 NFL Draft Profile
After spending the past five seasons at Penn State, center Michal Menet hopes to take his game to the next level in the 2021 NFL Draft. The interior linemanis coming off another fine season, seeing the field for 726 snaps while allowing just three sacks, two hits, and 10 hurries.
Menet originally joined the college football ranks as a five-star recruit. The Pennsylvania native dominated on both sides of the ball throughout high school and has no shortage of suitors around the country. However, he eventually decided to stay in the area and committed to Penn State. After redshirting through 2016, Menet finally saw the field on a regular basis in 2017. In 2018, he allowed two sacks, three hits, and 14 hurries. In 2019, he allowed three sacks, two hits, and 10 hurries.
Strengths
- Three-year starter with plenty of on-field experience;
- Quick reflexes with the size necessary to hold his ground against what’s in front of him;
- Built like an offensive lineman – size isn’t a worry;
- Easy to imagine him switching over to guard if the need arose;
- Solid hand work with strong fundamentals;
- Smart player that is able to handle elaborate blitz packages;
Weaknesses
- Below-average athlete that has a hard time keeping up with quickness;
- Very old – have we already seen all he has to offer;
- Subpar length – defenders can push his arms right off them;
- Not much of a downfield blocker – his best work is done against the DL;
- Slow feet will be an issue at NFL level.
NFL Comparison: Bryan Stork
Teams With Need At Position: Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers
Projection: 5th Round
Bottom Line on Michael Menet
Michael Menet is the type of player you want to have on your team, but never in your starting lineup. The Penn State product’s three years of starting experience show up in his ability to diagnose blitz packages and stunts, and this should translate to the NFL level. Additionally, he possesses sound technique and has the theoretical versatility to play guard as well as center. Nobody is suggesting he’ll be the next Quenton Nelson, but he’s good enough to hold down the fort until the starter comes back.
Menet’s intelligence and ability to go one-on-one with a nose tackle should be enough to earn him a roster spot. However, it won’t be enough to earn him a starting job. Menet is a below-average athlete that simply doesn’t have the feet to match quickness or the arm length to handle longer rushers. Interior offensive linemen can get away with subpar athleticism, but it does put a major cap on his ceiling. Speaking of limited ceilings, Menet will be 24 at the start of the 2021 season. It’s easy to look good against college competition when you’re that much older than the average player, but can he continue that success against NFL competition?
Ultimately, Menet should be able to compete for the top interior backup job, wherever he lands. Just don’t expect him to ever turn into anything more than a slightly below-average starter.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
