Arjun Menon looks like a future media star. The 22-year-old University of Michigan sports management and economics major is a contributor for Pro Football Focus, and two weeks ago, he made his NFL Network debut.
With the 2024 NFL Draft starting on Thursday, we thought it would be a good time to catch up with Menon. The senior gave us his thoughts on some high-profile prospects. He also discussed overcoming technical difficulties while appearing on NFL Total Access.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Awful Announcing: Who is the safest pick in this draft?
Arjun Menon: “I don’t think there’s anything safe about player evaluation, but to me, Marvin Harrison Jr. would be the safest pick. He has the combination of production and size. He’s a (taller) receiver. He’s a little bit skinny for his height. But I never saw him have a problem with being physical either at the line of scrimmage or at the catch point. He produced with some other very talented receivers at Ohio State at his time. This past year, I thought he was kind of dealt a tough hand with who he had to play quarterback with, but he still put out some great numbers. I think he’s just a very nuanced route runner. I think having that pedigree (since his father is Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison) will also help. He still has room to grow and has a very high upside.”
Who is the riskiest pick?
“I would probably say J.J. McCarthy. I don’t think we know what type of player he is or what he can be. We didn’t see him in a high-volume offense. He wasn’t playing from behind too often like some of these other quarterbacks like Drake Maye or Caleb Williams. I think it does say something that when the going got tough, it seemed like Michigan leaned on the run game a lot more, even if J.J. was an efficient quarterback when he did throw the ball. He didn’t play the toughest competition until he had to play Penn State or Ohio State every year. So, I get a little bit worried about that. I do think in the right situation, like if he goes to [the Minnesota Vikings] — you have him in a play-action heavy offense, you protect him a little bit and let him develop — I think he could grow to be a great quarterback. He was very efficient and he is super young.”
Why are you so high on Notre Dame running back Audric Estime?
“He’s one of my favorites. He ran a slow 40 time at the combine. Everyone was expecting him to test well. But his vertical and broad jump were among the 90th percentile for all running backs. Not even this year, but comparing to historical numbers. His production is very, very good for running backs in this class. The three metrics I like to look at for college running backs are missed tackles forced, yards after contact, and explosiveness. Those things have proven to translate well to the NFL. He shows up extremely well in all three of them. He’s not even 21 yet. The fact that he’s doing all this while not even being the legal age to drink is also super impressive.”
Who is the best defensive player in this draft?
“I like Byron Murphy II from Texas, the D-tackle. He might be a little bit undersized. He’s only 6-1. I’m not comparing him to Aaron Donald, but he’s built a little bit like Aaron Donald. Short but very stout. His numbers are just off the charts. He was second in terms of PFF grade in 2023. His pass-rush win rate, his pressure rates among all interior defense linemen were among the top of this class. He’s also a pretty good run defender, despite being on the smaller side. He just continuously got better. If he’s in a scheme that allows him to be aggressive and get up the field quickly, I think he can make an impact right away.”
Any red flags with Caleb Williams?
“He’s a very clean prospect. The one thing I got a little bit worried about is he played hero ball a lot. I think part of that was because USC had one of the worst defenses in the country. When you’re in that situation, you may be putting more pressure on yourself to make a big play. The (Chicago) Bears seem like a functional team at this point and had a pretty good defense last year. I would be curious to see how will he operate in an offense where things will be more structured. He’s not going to be able to make the crazy plays as often as he did at USC. The amount of hero ball plays is not going to translate probably to the NFL. Can he survive while having to play within a structure? I think that would be the biggest question I have.”
Is it obvious what the Washington Commanders will do at No. 2 overall?
“I think it’s so up in the air. I know people love to reference the betting markets about that. The line movement there has been all over the place. The thing with them is I look at (general manager) Adam Peters coming from San Francisco where everyone thought [the 49ers] were going to take Mac Jones, and they ended up taking Trey Lance. I think any news that comes out until the day of the draft is all smoke because I do think Adam Peters knows how to play that game.”
What team has drafted the best in recent years?
“I think the (Dallas) Cowboys have drafted pretty well, especially with first-round picks CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons, Tyler Smith. Those are three first-round picks since 2020 that have been All-Pro players. They’ve drafted some quality players outside of the first round like Osa Odighizuwa on the defensive line. Their corners, Daron Bland and Trevon Diggs, are great finds also outside of the first round. This is a team that has done well drafting, and it’s shown in their record with thee consecutive 12-win seasons.”
Are people surprised when they find out how young you are?
“Yeah, they are. I’ll get DMs: ‘Oh man, I can’t believe you’re still in college, you’re doing all this stuff and working for the Jets (as an analytics intern) over the summer.’ It’s nice to hear that sometimes, thinking back on everything I was able to do while being a college student.”
So sick for NFL Network to get a great guest like Arjun https://t.co/dyXPZS9yWE
— Jake Grossman (@jakegrossman0) April 13, 2024
Were you nervous during your NFL Network debut?
“I’ve done YouTube videos. I’ve never had a problem with speaking publicly. But I got nervous because the power died 15 minutes before I went live. Not just in my house, but the entire neighborhood. I scrambled to figure out how to readjust my setup. I had to switch to a hotspot for the segment. I had to create some lighting because it was at night. That was the only stressful part about it for me.”
What did you do without electricity?
“I moved my desk in front of my window. Even though it was dark-ish, it did create some natural light. Then, I had to use my iPhone flashlight as lighting directly onto my face. It created a shadow behind me, which is not great, but it was the best I could do with what I had to work with.”
How did it go?
“Everything went well. It didn’t seem like my camera froze or my network was an issue. I was pretty happy with how everything went, even if it could have been better than what it was.”
What’s next for you since you graduate this spring? Do you have a job lined up?
“Still looking right now. I’m currently interviewing with a couple of places. So, hopefully, the process works out and I can land something from one of them.”
