One Fast Riser in 2026 NFL Draft That Every Bears Fan Should Know

Despite falling short of the NFC Championship game, the Chicago Bears can enter the 2026 offseason with their heads held high. This season was a smashing success, from clinching the 2025 NFC North championship to humiliating their ancient foes, the Green Bay Packers, in a miraculous Wild Card win. Now, for the first time since 2019, the Bears look like a team that needs only a few roster tweaks to contend for a Super Bowl.

As for those tweaks, the consensus opinion is that almost all of them should be on the defensive line. This is a unit that ranked 31st and 26th, respectively, in ESPN's pass rush-run stop win rates, and racked up just 35 sacks, seventh lowest in the league. That's not nearly good enough, and that puts pressure on general manager Ryan Poles to get it right for the Bears in the 2026 NFL draft.

A first-round pick spent on Ohio State's Kayden McDonald would be a great first step towards that end, but the Bears could still use some more depth at defensive tackle. Enter this little-known prospect from the United States Naval Academy: Landon Robinson.

Navy’s Landon Robinson beating the double team against Ole Miss Diego Pounds and Texas DJ Campbell to get the TFL @LandonRobinson @ShrineBowl pic.twitter.com/D2DRa8x1wc
— Bradley Reisenfeld (@bradareisenfeld) January 25, 2026

America's service academies don't typically produce solid NFL talents anymore, but Robinson isn't your typical prospect. A three-time feature on The Athletic's annual College Football Freaks list, the 2024 First-Team All-AAC nose guard is an absolute unit who is on record benching 465 pounds and squatting 665 pounds, but also possesses a 33" vertical and can hit 20mph in a sprint. In the 2024 Army-Navy Game, Robinson had one of the night's best highlights when he took a direct snap on a fake punt and picked up 27 yards.

WHAT A WILD PLAY -- Navy calls a fake punt to the big man Landon Robinson!

He picks up the first, fumbles, but Navy keeps it! pic.twitter.com/2GfXhypE9i
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 14, 2024

Someone will have to teach him better ball security, but you have to imagine head coach Ben Johnson could find some elaborate ways to get this big man the ball. Imagine the deafening crowd pop at Soldier Field if a young defensive tackle picks up a key first down or even a touchdown on a trick play.

Production and potential should send Robinson flying up draft boards

Despite racking up 14.5 sacks across three seasons with the Navy Midshipmen, Robinson is still flying under the radar. On PFF's 2026 NFL mock draft simulator, he's the 281st-ranked prospect. At PFSN, he's ranked at No. 214. But that may change soon, as Robinson put on a show at the East-West Shrine Bowl practices. With his power and athleticism against top prospects on full display for the NFL draft community, this should be considered the start of a meteoric rise up everyone's draft boards.

Love the way @NavyFB DL Landon Robinson (@LandonRobinson) takes on this double team.

He told me earlier in the week that you can't block someone that is 2 feet off the ground. Leverage is a huge part of his game. So damn strong, too. pic.twitter.com/NbXU7RCTiP
— Josh Carney (@ByJoshCarney) January 25, 2026

None of this is to say that Robinson should end up in the first round of prospects, or even the second and third rounds. Making the jump from the Naval Academy to the NFL will be a huge adjustment for him, and his game still needs refining. But when you watch him power through blockers, leave them grabbing air as he speeds past, or devour double-teams at the Shrine Bowl, you can see the ceiling of an impact player in the NFL.

Navy’s Landon Robinson displaying a brute force of strength here against an impressive Dillon Wade from Auburn #ShrineBowl pic.twitter.com/5t7myLO104
— Bradley Reisenfeld (@bradareisenfeld) January 25, 2026

Navy’s Landon Robinson has helped himself at the East-West Shrine Bowl. His quickness and heavy hands have created problems for OL.

He was top 10 in the country in pressures among IDL this past season (34). pic.twitter.com/2njqtJvR48
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) January 25, 2026

The Bottom Line

Landon Robinson was born to be a Chicago Bear. He has incredible raw strength and athleticism, was elected co-captain by his Navy teammates in 2025, which reflects well on his leadership and character, and a relentless motor that runs white-hot. He would not likely be an immediate impact player when the 2026 season begins, but I don't think it'd be long before he started taking a meaningful share of the snaps.

I would be comfortable drafting Robinson with Chicago's fourth-round pick (No. 130 overall) as a developmental prospect with upside to be an every-down starter.