With the NFL draft less than two weeks away, teams are hustling to narrow their choices of prospects to target in the draft April 26-27. As we head down the home stretch you can expect to hear trade talk among teams at the top of the draft board, starting now.

The Cincinnati Bengals, who own the No. 9 selection in this year¹s draft, are believed to be interested in moving up the board to secure themselves a shot at one of the top defensive tackles or perhaps Arkansas RB Darren McFadden, providing he slips past the Oakland Raiders at the No. 4 slot, which is highly unlikely. That being said, the Bengals would have strong competition trying to get into position for the running back.

The New York Jets, sitting at No. 6, have expressed some interest in trading up in an attempt to move ahead of Oakland to secure a shot at landing McFadden. According to a league source, the Jets have targeted the Atlanta Falcons at No. 3 as a potential trade partner.

If the Bengals catapult their way up the board, the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 5 could be a likely trade partner. K.C. is in the midst of rebuilding and is looking to stockpile picks. With the Bengals having 10, this sounds like the perfect marriage.

The Bengals are sitting pretty with a boatload of picks and they have a lot of flexibility to move either up or down the board. If the team stays put in its current position and both D-tackles are off the board, I have reason to believe they will give serious thought to selecting Michigan State WR Devin Thomas.

The 6-foot-2, 216-pound receiver is instant offense in the passing game. Thomas is a big, strong, physical receiver with bank-robber speed and natural athletic ability. He’s a big-play receiver with good route-running skills and does a nice job running after the catch. He has excellent body control and shows a willingness to make plays in rush hour traffic. Thomas will sacrifice his body to make a play on the ball knowing that the big hit is coming. He’s not one who shies away from contact and will block when the ball is not in his hands. Thomas is said to be a leader in the huddle as well as in the locker room.

Aside from all the other physical attributes, what sets Thomas apart from the rest of the field is his upside. The receiver is still learning the game after playing only two years of Division 1-A football. Thomas spent two years playing junior college football before enrolling at Michigan State in ‘06 for the beginning of the spring semester. Therefore the receiver lacks some experience playing football at a high level.

So why did the junior wide receiver decide to enter the draft early? Simple. It was time.

“I felt like it was the right decision for me at the time,” Thomas said. “I felt like I had all the tools to make a major impact. Going through the stages of preparing for the draft, I knew that I would do pretty well at the Combine and workouts. I felt like when teams really evaluated me and compared me to the other players that were coming out I would be ranked pretty high. So I thought it was a good decision for me.”

It appears that Thomas made the right decision. He is rated the No. 1 receiver on many teams' draft boards, including the Bengals. Thomas had 79 catches for 1,260 yards and eight touchdowns in ‘07, his second season with the Spartans.

Thomas is a passionate player on the field who lives for game day.

“When it comes to stepping out on that field it’s a whole new world for me,” he said. “There is nothing like it. I play the game to the fullest. I love the team camaraderie and just playing the game itself is outstanding.”

WANTED MAN

Several teams have expressed interest and Thomas has toured the league like a rock star, visiting Minnesota, Buffalo, Miami, Philadelphia, Tennessee and Pittsburgh.

Although a visit to Cincinnati has not been scheduled, it’s not uncommon for a team to draft a player who hasn’t visited with the club. I think Thomas’ game film speaks for itself.

The Bengals' offense would be a perfect fit for Thomas, who is still learning to play the position at a high level. The team could move him into the slot position right away where he could learn and be groomed as a possible replacement for receivers Chad Johnson or T.J. Houshmandzadeh should the team lose either to injury or any other circumstances.

Thomas brings a lot to the table in terms of ability and would give QB Carson Palmer another weapon. His overall talent is impeccable and what's scarier is that the receiver has only scratched the surface of his ability.

If selecting Thomas is the least likely scenario for the Bengals, who recently said adios to their No. 3 receiver Chris Henry, this would be a welcome addition to the team. There is no question that Thomas could be a dark-horse pick for the Bengals.