Bengals rookie is an enticing position change candidate at training camp

The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young in the fourth round this year, but after the draft, they brought in one of his teammates from Athens as well in Noah Thomas.

Whereas Young's draft status and superior athleticism will earn him looks in training camp for a role in the offense, Thomas is the longest of long shots to make the 53-man roster. Even the practice squad seems unrealistic.

That is, unless Thomas embraces a monumental change to his football regimen and where he aligns on the gridiron.

Bengals UDFA Noah Thomas should lobby to convert to tight end

When you look at Thomas' Relative Athletic Score as a wide receiver, the flaws pop out right away. Excellent size, sure, but everything else leaves a lot to be desired:

When you convert him to a tight end, though, despite a 203-pound frame that's the lowest percentile possible for the position, his RAS goes from 4.20 to 7.63.

Just think about what Thomas could be if he decided to move to tight end, gain 30 pounds, and still retain most of his speed and explosiveness.

Given how lean-looking Thomas is for his size, there's reason to believe he could easily pack the weight on. Imagine him as a red-zone threat who you could just loft the ball up to. With his considerable arm length, 6'5" frame and decent leaping ability, it'd look something like this:

Both those highlight-reel grabs came at Texas A&M, where Thomas had 39 catches for 574 yards and eight TDs in 2024. Despite his rather stiff athletic tool set, he still found a way to leverage his size and football IQ to produce at a solid clip in the SEC.

Another thing: Game speed is different than testing speed. I have a feeling Thomas moves different(ly) in pads and might be faster than his 40 yard-dash figure (and the splits therein) suggests:

I get that it's a stretch to suggest Thomas could bulk up and all of a sudden become a difference-maker at a position he hasn't played. Total speculation.

But this isn't some arbitrary take meant to muscle out some content before training camp opens. It's something the Bengals should seriously consider.

Think about it. What better serves the organization and Thomas as an individual: Trotting him out there as just another body as the camp WR11, or giving him a chance to develop on the practice squad, and someday contribute to a position where Cincinnati has a greater need?

Thomas has talent. It's just not going to happen for him as a wide receiver at the NFL level.

Some fans may clap back at me and say, "But what about Tee Higgins!?"

Tee Higgins is a generational exception, and he was, after all, the first pick in the second round of the 2020 draft. Many believed he'd go in the first round despite poor testing numbers. Not so much the case with Thomas.

I know it's far-fetched, but hey, if the Bengals want to be a little more intentional with one of their "camp body" wide receivers, moving Noah Thomas to tight end is not a bad big-picture play.

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