The Cincinnati Bengals had a lot of positive immediate returns from their rookies in their first preseason game. Tight end Jack Endries popped; wide receiver Colbie Young continued the upward trajectory that he had started during camp.
Another player who jumped off the screen on film and has been getting some attention since Thursday night is interior defensive lineman Landon Robinson. The former Navy defensive tackle was taken in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Bengals after winning the American Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Robinson had 14.5 sacks in three years with the Midshipmen, capping his career off with a 6.5-sack 2025 season, adding 64 tackles. The knock on him is his size, as Robinson checks in at just 6’0”, 295 pounds. However, he didn’t let it hold him back in his first professional game.
While Robinson didn’t move the fastest laterally, he used violent hands to disengage blocks and pressure the quarterback. He played 45 snaps and had two pressures, according to PFF, posting a 70 defense grade with a 76.9 pass rush grade. It was a stellar debut for the interior defensive lineman.
He used explosiveness and a quick get-off to put offensive linemen in bad positions fast. Bengals & Brews put together an extensive highlight reel from Thursday’s game showing some of his best snaps.
How he fits on the defensive line will be interesting to follow. Obviously, Dexter Lawrence will take a ton of snaps on the interior of the Bengals' D-line. Furthermore, BJ Hill was just activated after suffering an ankle injury at the end of the 2025 regular season that required surgery. Also, Cincinnati paid former Commanders and Vikings defensive tackle Jonathan Allen.
So, it’s an uphill climb for Robinson to get snaps this upcoming season with how crowded that room will be, but if he can continue to stack impactful preseason games and practices, he could give the Bengals a reason to keep him around in hopes that he can develop into an every-down player one, maybe two years down the road.
Robinson has been highly motivated to learn since getting to camp, with many clips of him working with Dexter Lawrence and even former Bengals defensive tackles who visit Cincinnati during training camp. He also worked with Aaron Donald before the draft. His military background should also support the idea that he will go about everything in the NFL the right way.
He has the physical tools and college track record to be a real bargain pick in the seventh round, provided he continues to develop.
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