The Cincinnati Bengals made a number of splashy moves this offseason, but one of the fan favorites occurred on the final day of the 2026 NFL Draft. The team used pick No. 226 in the class to select Navy defensive lineman Landon Robinson.
While he had a decorated career with the Midshipmen, Robinson grew up in Ohio and in a household full of Bengals fans. Many believed that Robinson could have been selected a couple of rounds earlier, given his skill set and positional value, but Cincinnati pounced
on him towards the end of the weekend’s festivities.
Aside from witnessing a few great minutes of coverage, including Robinson getting the call from the team and a special draft salute to the Navy after the selections of both him and Eli Heidenreich by the Steelers, Robinson has a decent shot at making the team’s final roster as a rookie.
And it isn’t just the roster projectors saying so, but also a Bengals Ring of Honor inductee in fellow defensive lineman, Tim Krumrie.
Krumrie noted that he sees “a little bit of Tim” in Robinson, and the comparison is apropos. Krumrie was an undersized nose tackle who was taken in the 10th round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He parlayed that into an outstanding 12-year career with the Bengals, along with a 15-year pro coaching career.
Robinson has the skills, tenacity, and learned discipline from the Naval Academy to make a similar name for himself. Krumrie also bestowed some wisdom upon the rookie lineman, noting that “vision” at the position is key, noting to use instincts to cause separation for big plays.
Krumrie visiting Bengals practice last week was also a full-circle moment for Jerry Montgomery, the team’s current defensive line coach. Not only was he shoulder-to-shoulder with Krumrie, who coached Cincinnati’s line from 1995-2002, but Montgomery also remembered running pre-draft drills with Krumrie when he himself was a pro prospect almost a quarter-century ago.
Regardless, Robinson is taking in all the advice he can as he pushes for a Week 1 roster spot. It sounds like he took Krumrie’s tips to heart and is implementing what he can to put his best foot forward.
