Washington Football Team training camp profiles: Defensive Line
Matt Ioannidis
Experience: 5th season
Draft Status: 2016 fifth-round pick, 152nd overall
2019 Stats: 16 games (15 starts), 64 tackles, 11 TFL, 8.5 sacks, one pass defense
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2020 Outlook: Of Washington’s top three defensive linemen, Ioannidis actually logged the most snaps. He played 73 percent of the time on defense last season and was an excellent all-around player.
Ioannidis is at his best as a pass rusher. He’s the best pass-rushing defensive tackle that Washington has and is one of the top players in this category in the league. His 8.5 sack mark was a career-high last year but the veteran will look to build on that and crack double digits in a defensive system that should fit his strengths.
Expected Role: Starter and top pass-rushing defensive tackle. Yes, we’re calling all of Washington’s top defensive tackles “starters” because they will all play at least 60 percent of the snaps if healthy. Ioannidis will probably play more than Payne and Allen in obvious passing situations and will reap the rewards as a result. He’ll still play against the run but rest assure that Del Rio will have him fresh to attack the quarterback.
Status: Roster lock. Ioannidis is on a team-friendly three-year, $21.75 million deal that may be one of the best contracts in the league. There’s no way he’s going anywhere until that contract is up after the 2022 season.