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Washington Redskins: Best pick from each of last 10 NFL Draft classes

By Hunter Noll

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 30: Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder before the game between the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 30, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 30: Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder before the game between the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 30, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 09: Defensive tackle Matthew Ioannidis #98 of the Washington Redskins celebrates with linebacker Mason Foster #54 after a turnover during the final moments of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. The Redskins defeated the Cardinals 24-6. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 09: Defensive tackle Matthew Ioannidis #98 of the Washington Redskins celebrates with linebacker Mason Foster #54 after a turnover during the final moments of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. The Redskins defeated the Cardinals 24-6. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

2016: Matthew Ioannidis – Fifth Round, 152nd overall pick

2016 is a weird year for the Washington Redskins when it comes to the draft. Josh Doctson was their first pick and he’s had a roller coaster of a career so far. Things are looking up for him, though. He had the best year of his career in 2018 and should continue to be a big part of the offense next season.

The Su’a Cravens saga ended extremely poorly. He doesn’t seem to have any love for the team and a lot of the fans appear to feel the same way towards him. It’s sad because he had all sorts of promise after year one and if things went well he might’ve been the poster boy of this class. Kendall Fuller quickly turned into a stud cornerback, but was traded for Alex Smith after his second year on the team. That’s not a long enough tenure to give him the title.

Then there’s Matthew Ioannidis. If I’m being honest, even if everyone else ahead of him worked out well, Ioannidis would probably still be given this spot. Ioannidis was drafted to be a rover on the defensive line. He’s a defensive end now, but still gives the Redskins flexibility if needed. It seemed like he could be a solid glue guy on the line, I don’t think many people were expecting him to be an absolute menace though.

Ioannidis finished 2018 with 7.5 sacks. He’s shown a lot of promise in pass rush with a surprising combination of power and speed, as well as solid moves. Meanwhile, he’s an absolute beast in the running game. He can clog up holes well, get to the outside, and wraps the ball carrier up well.

The Redskins don’t have much to brag about heading into 2019. One thing they do have though, is one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. They also happen to be one of the youngest. Ioannidis is a major part of that.

Getting a glue guy for your defensive line in the fourth round is nice value. Getting a major piece to a ridiculously scary line is incredible value. It’s hard to argue with Ioannidis as the “guy” of this draft class.

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