Trainer of Bengals legend sees strong resemblance in 2026 NFL Draft prospect

Being compared to a — mouthful, get ready — five-time first-team All-Pro is no small feat for any aspiring professional football player. That's quite a set of expectations to slap on a 2026 NFL Draft prospect.

The Cincinnati Bengals need help in the worst way on their defensive line. They've lacked an interior pass rusher or an elite athlete at the 3-technique spot for quite some time.

If the trainer of a retired Bengals superstar's testimony is anything to go by, this deep-sleeper draft prospect won't be a secret for long. And Cincinnati might be wise to take a flier on him come April.

Geno Atkins trainer makes strong pitch for Bengals to target sleeper in 2026 NFL Draft

Navy defensive lineman Landon Robinson made waves at practice leading into the East-West Shrine Bowl and in the game itself.

The Shrine Bowl is the most prestigious showcase for NFL Draft prospects outside of the Senior Bowl, for those not in the know. Robinson's explosiveness produces quick wins in the trenches and lands him in the backfield often, either disrupting plays or finishing them off himself.

Clif Marshall, the trainer for Geno Atkins who helped coach him to be one of the greatest pass rushers of his generation, favorable compared Robinson's physical tools to those of Atkins:

"Both benched 465. Both squatted the house. Both were twitchy, compact, and played with a low center of mass that allowed them to dominate with leverage. Elite strength. Elite speed. Elite leverage. That combination translates in the NFL."

Talk about high praise. And there's reason to believe the Bengals are at least somewhat interested.

247Sports' Easton Butler reported that Robinson had formal meetings with 17 teams at the Shrine Bowl, with the Bengals among them. That's not nothing!

Atkins was overlooked in the 2010 draft out of the University of Georgia, largely due to his undersized frame at 6'1", 293 pounds. He fell to the fourth round at 120th overall, then proceeded to amass 75.5 sacks in 161 games for the Bengals.

Across his last two seasons at the Naval Academy, Robinson racked up 125 combined tackles (14 tackles for loss), 10.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. The 6'0", 287-pound native of Fairlawn, Ohio, even had three career carries for eighty-seven yards.

To be perfectly honest, one prevailing consensus among draftniks is that this year's NFL rookie class is loaded at the defensive tackle spot. I'm not so certain of that.

It'd be great news for Cincinnati if that were the case. However, I'm not personally as jazzed about Clemson's Peter Woods, Florida's Caleb Banks, Ohio State's Kayden McDonald, or Georgia's Christen Miller as many are.

Where some see Woods and Banks as top half of the first round or higher, they're more early Day 2 picks for me. McDonald is a stout run defender, but his pass rushing ability leaves a lot to be desired.

To me, whatever was lacking in competition level when Robinson balled out for the Midshipmen could be offset by the uniqueness of his collegiate experience.

This wasn't some academic cakewalk situation, where Robinson got an NIL bag and could focus solely on football. He had a certain standard to uphold, legitimate coursework to juggle, and he had pop enough on the gridiron to get on the NFL's radar.

Now that Robinson is honing his craft with someone who oversaw Atkins' phenomenal pro career, and isn't afraid to liken the young man to a Hall of Fame-caliber player, his upside feels immense, does it not?

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