Matt Ioannidis NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Redskins Rookie

POSITIVES

A bear in the middle of the defensive line, Matt Ioannidis is one of the strongest defensive linemen in the 2016 draft class. Playing at 299 pounds, Ioannidis had 32 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.

Dating back to his true freshman season, Ioannidis has been a factor at Temple. Playing both inside the tackle and in a head-up position, Ioannidis has value to versatile defensive fronts. Watching him throughout the week of practices at the Senior Bowl, Ioannidis wowed with his motor and strength.

Athletically, Ioannidis has a good mixture of strength and flexibility. He’s super stout at the point of attack and can sit in a gap and close it. His quickness is underrated and allows him to attack in space. He shows the knee bend and hip flexibility to beat blockers on their second move. Ioannidis is mostly a power rusher, but he does use his hands well to break free from first contact and has a spin move that gets home when used.

NEGATIVES

Defensive linemen in the NFL must be twitchy, springy players, even when they weigh 300-plus pounds. Ioannidis doesn’t show that quality when moving in space. He can be slow to get to his second gear and struggles to explode off the line and stun blockers.

When working down the line, Ioannidis will struggle to keep pace with the flow of the play. His balance and footwork are average. As is the case with most weight room players, Ioannidis doesn’t have great flexibility. He’ll struggle to get offensive linemen to turn their shoulders and instead has to dominate with push and pull pass-rushing moves. Ideally, Ioannidis is closing gaps and not shooting them.

Without the athleticism to be a major contributor in pass-rushing situations, Ioannidis projects as a two-down run defender. He has the tools to be good in that role, but he lacks the size and athleticism to be drafted inside the top 100 picks.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 285 lbs.

40 Time: 4.85s

3-Cone: 7.78s

Short Shuttle: 4.71s

PRO COMPARISON: Rodney Gunter, Arizona Cardinals
FINAL GRADE: 5.75/9.00 (Round 4—Backup Caliber)