Navy DT Landon Robinson is the type of player whose tape hits harder than the stat sheet, and that is hard to do because the numbers (64 tackles, 8.5 for loss, and 6.5 sacks) are impressive. The more you watch, the more you realize that Landon is not just a cog in the defense, but the guy on the field who has become the ‘drive killer.’
During many games, he is the best player on the field. His résumé backs it up: AAC Defensive Player of the Year and an All-American, but the film does as well. He is a disruptor on the field, regardless of the competition, and has some of his best games when facing high-caliber opponents like Notre Dame. His disruption ends drives, kills momentum, and forces offensive coordinators to account for him.
I recently caught up with Landon to discuss his game and how the draft process has been for him.
At 5'11, 290 pounds, Robinson doesn’t just win in spite of his size; he is winning because of it. He has turned leverage into an art form.
“The low guy always wins, right, that’s just something that is innate in football, you know, if you’re playing high and you’re looking in the backfield, you’re going to get driven off the ball, so being able to stay low and use my natural leverage to get off the ball, get that knockback, and then being able to sit in there on the combo blocks on double teams as they’re trying to drive you out and you pry one guy, you pry your pressure key off him, and then you go off and make a play. So I think just being able to use that natural leverage is super key, and you have to be able to be strong as well, so as you’re sitting in there, you’ve got to have the strength to be able to handle it.”
And speaking of strength, Landon has made the Bruce Feldman Freak List twice. He was noted for bench pressing 465 pounds (up from 450), squatting 665 pounds (up 15 pounds), and power cleaning 350 pounds. I mentioned how he would be a perfect fit in the Eagles’ weight room, alongside Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley, for a squat-off. He laughed and stated that it would be a lot of fun. I think all Philly fans would love to watch that.
In addition to his lower body strength, Landon has a toolbox full of pass-rushing moves.
“I’d describe my pass rush as just relentless, right, first and foremost, your first move is not always going to work, especially against a very skilled offensive lineman, so you’ve got to be relentless, you got to have two or three moves lined up as a counter move or just being able to get off the block and just use your hand and just be violent, so when I get off the ball, obviously I’m looking at their hands, seeing how they’re setting, are they quick setting, are they dropping back, and just that determines immediately either I’m going to use power or I’m going to use a quick move to be able to get past them”
As successful as he has been, his work ethic seeks more domination.
“I think my run ability is just being able to just stay low and just be able to anchor down in my gap, my pass rush versatility, being able to use a cross shot, use the side scissors, just being able to use my quickness to get around blocks, I think I’ve improved that every single year and I’m looking forward to continue to get better at that in the future.”
Against the run, Landon is instinctual. He diagnoses quickly, trusts what his film study has taught him, then seeks and destroys. He does not waste movement; he avoids offensive-line hits rather than absorbing them, which gives him an advantage to get past and go downhill fast.
Landon hitting over 20+ MPH shows up on Saturdays. You see it when he runs a play down from the backside, again when a quarterback thinks he’s bought time, and Robinson erases the clock in two steps. His first step burst makes him a problem in one-on-one matchups. You will notice the offensive linemen reacting late to his moves, as they try to recover from their heels. In short, Robinson is the player dictating; he causes havoc.
One thing all atheletes have the ability to control is their work ethic and their effort. If you have watched any Navy games, you will notice that is an emphasis, and a point of pride, for Landon. He refuses to be outworked.
“My relentless motor, just be able to just keep going. Like I said earlier with the pass rush, you’re not always going to beat the guy on the first move, so you just got to continue to just keep going, because effort plays is what shows up on film and that’s how you win games, it’s just with your effort and your attention to detail and just be able to keep going, even though the first move may not work. So I think that’s what I want coaches to see.”
One trait the Eagles are always high on is leadership and team captaincy. Landon was both for Navy, and he took that responsibility seriously, and led by example.
“I think being focused and being dialed into your job is something that’s very important. Discipline, the perseverance to keep going, because football is not an easy sport, so being able to, when you don’t want to work, you have to be disciplined enough to go out there and just continue to stack days and get better on a daily basis. So I think I bring that to the locker room, no matter where I’ll be at, and I’m excited to just bring that to whatever team takes a chance on me.”
All of the traits are not only confirmed by watching the tape but also by a 9.40 RAS, testing in the 94th percentile at his pro day, numbers that would have made eyes pop at the combine in Indianapolis.
Landon described how he has been navigating school and the draft process.
“Being able to balance this process with football and then obviously with the academy. You’re busy, every single day you go to school here, you have a military obligation, you have classes that you have to go to, so it’s an honor just being able to balance both for sure.”
The question all Eagles fans wanted to know was whether he had contact with Philadelphia.
“I have, I’ve talked with them a couple of times now. I think a few times, actually. I spoke with them at the Shrine Bowl, then I spoke with them at our Pro Day.”
He mentioned the team wanted to bring him into Philly, but he had a conflict due to a prior commitment. The interest from Howie Roseman and the Eagles front office is genuine.
For any NFL team looking for a defensive lineman who exudes rare short-area athletic traits, agility, elite lower-body strength, and a guy who always gives high effort with a nonstop motor, Landon Robinson from Navy is the player they will want. He continues to push the ceiling further to reach his full potential and will make a positive impact on the franchise that selects him in the 2026 NFL Draft.
As always, thank you for reading!
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