The Cincinnati Bengals made some huge additions to their defensive line in the 2026 offseason, both figuratively and literally.
The trade to acquire Dexter Lawrence just before the 2026 NFL Draft was one of the most significant moves made by a team with contending hopes in the entire offseason. The Bengals also brought in veteran Jonathan Allen after he was cut by the Minnesota Vikings, as well as adding Boye Mafe in free agency from the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Yet even after all of the high-profile additions, the Bengals might get even better on the defensive line this year thanks to 7th-round rookie Landon Robinson, a player who was significantly underrated in the NFL Draft process coming out of Navy.
Robinson not only made the Bengals' 53-man roster, but he made enough of an impression in the preseason to warrant serious consideration for the rotation in Week 1.
Bengals rookie DT Landon Robinson quickly proved to be an NFL Draft steal
Landon Robinson led the NFL in sacks (4) and total pressures (10) during the preseason, and has quickly proven the league whiffed on whatever they thought he could be at the next level.
The issue with that is, there was really no reason for him to fall down the board in the first place.
The 2025 American Conference Defensive Player of the Year had three years of really good production for the Midshipmen, and obviously a really good year in 2025. He racked up 64 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks last season, all the best numbers he posted in his three collegiate seasons.
Despite being one of the smaller defensive tackle prospects you'll typically see coming out (5-foot-11, 293 pounds), he managed to post a 9.45 on the RAS scale (Relative Athletic Score). Considering how much his height was dragging him down, to nearly score in the 95th percentile among defensive tackles over the last 30-plus years is impressive.
So you have a prospect who has exceptional character, great work ethic, elite athletic traits, and production on the field to match it al. What gives?
"I'm gonna give it everything I've got." pic.twitter.com/DhANqvJptB
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 30, 2026
The Bengals kept a total of 11 players on their defensive front at 2026 roster cuts. They desperately need that unit to have a new floor this upcoming season, or they're going to waste yet another year of the core they have offensively. There's a lot of pressure on that defense, and they are going to need all 11 of those guys on the defensive line to step up this season.
Given what we saw from Robinson throughout the course of the preseason, playing with great leverage and quickness off the snap, he should undoubtedly have a role for the team in Week 1 and will be one of the most interesting rookie stories to watch all season.
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