Smoke is billowing around Bengals' interest in stellar draft DT prospect

The Cincinnati Bengals have taken an interest in one single NFL Draft prospect above anyone else this year, and all that time invested in him could pay huge dividends come late Friday or early Saturday.

Whereas some draft experts believe the Bengals should target a defensive tackle as soon as Round 2 — Clemson's Peter Woods is a popular option if he slides that far — Cincinnati could trust its homework on a less-heralded prospect who might wind up being the better pro.

You can see his name in the caption above. A service academy stud we've covered in this space before. Nevertheless, his links to the Bengals have become undeniable.

Navy star Landon Robinson's multiple pre-draft meetings & Ohio background suggest he's a shoo-in for Bengals

Landon Robinson's trainer worked with Bengals legend Geno Atkins and sees a resemblance between the two. If Robinson is anything close to Atkins, he'd be a most welcome addition to Cincinnati's interior pass rush rotation, which already looks a little better with Jonathan Allen coming aboard in free agency.

Anyway, Fox Sports insider Jordan Schultz paired the news of Robinson's latest Bengals visit with some relevant background info on the reigning first-team All-American's Buckeye State upbringing:

Between the East-West Shrine Bowl, the Navy pro day, and this official pre-draft visit, Robinson has had a lot of time with Cincinnati's scouting department and coaching staff. There's little reason to believe he won't be the pick when the Bengals go on the clock at either Pick 72 or No. 110 overall.

It'd be a shame to spend all these resources getting to know Robinson, only to watch him get drafted by another team.

This defensive tackle class is pretty poor across the board. To their credit, it looks like the Bengals realize that. They also don't need to prioritize finding a 3-technique in the first two rounds, when that player would be, at best, third in line behind Allen and B.J. Hill at the position.

What am I missing here, though? Woods is my 64th-ranked player, and that's factoring in the upside he's flashed in the past that was mostly nonexistent in 2025. I've got Robinson 100th overall, but that bakes in the fact that he played at Navy against lesser competition.

I don't think it really matters. Robinson has a thicker build. He's stronger. Plays with better leverage. Is arguably more technically sound despite all the non-football obligations he had as a Navy student-athlete. Oh, and his arms are longer than those of Woods in spite of his shorter stature.

So let's see...should the Bengals draft Peter Woods in a first-round trade down scenario or at 41st overall? Or should they wait until the third round (at earliest) for a potential stud in Landon Robinson, who won't have the draft status or expectations to be thrust into duty?

Robinson is the ideal depth piece, injury insurance, and developmental prospect the Bengals need behind Allen and Hill for the next couple years. Someone as ballyhooed as Peter Woods ain't the vibe.

Landon Robinson couldn't be a better fit for Cincinnati. Plus, if there's fire where there's draft SZN smoke, you could categorize the Bengals-Robinson links as a blazing inferno at this point.

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