Washington Redskins 2018 season interior defensive line grades
By Ian Cummings
Matt Ioannidis
With a last name that essentially functions as its own epic nickname, Matt Ioannidis has, in just three seasons with the Washington Redskins, become a fan favorite. At first, most of the hype was all about the name. But over the course of the last two seasons, Ioannidis has stepped up his game, by otherworldly proportions.
Not long ago, at the conclusion of the 2016 season, some were calling Ioannidis a bust. Drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, in a time when the Redskins needed any kind of help at all on the defensive interior, Ioannidis’ standards were unreasonably high at first. He needed time to work with Jim Tomsula and unlock his potential. Now that he has, he’s become one of the best pass rushing defensive tackles in the NFL.
No, that’s not hyperbole. Ioannidis is a true spartan.
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After logging 4.5 sacks in the first five games of 2017, Ioannidis opened the 2018 season with another tear, amassing 7.5 quarterback takedowns in his first eight games. He would end up finishing the season with that 7.5 figure, but he maintained a presence as a ruthless force on pass rushing downs.
Per Pro Football Focus, Ioannidis logged a pass rush productivity rating (Total hurries divided by total pass rushing snaps) of 13.1 percent. That figure is best on the team among linemen and edge rushers, and it compares favorably to some of the league’s top defensive linemen, such as San Francisco’s DeForest Buckner (10.1), New Orleans’ Sheldon Rankins (10.2), Kansas City’s Chris Jones (14.2), Philadelphia’s Fletcher Cox (15.3), and Los Angeles’ Aaron Donald, who’s admittedly in a league of his own (17.2).
Ioannidis could stand to improve his run defense, as the team often shifted him out on surefire rushing downs (Ioannidis played less than half of the possible defensive snaps as a result), but the Temple product, under Jim Tomsula’s tutelage, has quickly trended toward the likes of an elite interior pass rusher. He’s a problem for opposing teams, and hopefully, even with the possible departure of Tomsula, that won’t change.