Michal Menet, a Pennsylvania native, will aim to make his home state proud by having his name called in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Menet is a three-year starter and two-time team captain, yet he opted to forgo his additional year of eligibility and declare for the 2021 NFL Draft.

The 6’4”, 301-pound offensive lineman was recruited as a guard. But over the course of his career at Penn State, he shifted to center. He didn’t find his home there until 2018 as a redshirt sophomore when he started all 12 games. Menet wouldn’t miss a start for the rest of his tenure as Nittany Lion.

In his most recent season, Menet earned All-Big Ten Third Team honors from the coaches and media and was a big reason for Penn State’s turnaround at the end of the year on offense. Menet was the anchor of the line that helped the offense average 219 rushing yards over the final four games, all of which were wins. Additionally, the offensive line surrendered only three sacks over the first three games of that four-win stretch.

Menet didn’t shy away from the change to center. He became a leader for the Nittany Lions in the trenches as the linchpin of the offensive line, rightfully earning the captainship for two years.

Having leadership ability is essential for a center as the lead voice and head communicator of the offensive line, and Menet embodies all of the necessary characteristics.

Menet boasts a plethora of qualities that would be desired by an NFL team, headed by his leadership. He’s intelligent, has pristine hand placement and a strong base in pass protection, and is forceful with quick intangibles in the run game. Although there are other areas that could use improvement, Menet could be a valuable utility for any NFL roster, especially if he’s drafted to a team that’s a good scheme fit.

Sports Illustrated currently has Menet projected to go un-drafted, but he could very easily end up being a Day 3 selection in the later rounds.

In a potential opportunity to elevate his draft stock by participating in Penn State’s Pro Day last week, Menet was quiet. He didn’t participate in a majority of the events and drills. He took part in the bench press, though, and pumped out an impressive 26 reps at 225 pounds.

Menet is flying under the radar on many NFL team’s draft boards. If nothing else, he could end up bringing an extremely serviceable skill set and locker room presence to whichever team takes a chance on him.