Philadelphia Eagles exclusive: Sitting with West Virginia’s Chase Behrndt

You might be tired of hearing the 2021 season is part of a complete rebuild for the Philadelphia Eagles, but it is. Thankfully, Philly has its starting quarterback on the roster for the foreseeable future (maybe).

With Houston native Jalen Hurts taking the lead under center, Philly’s front office has a large part of their rebuild solidified if the experiment works out. Now with that figured out, general manager Howie Roseman will need to identify and place talent around the former Heisman runner-up.

While the Birds have had an obvious lack of talent at the wide receiver position, an argument can be made that the offensive line and the wideouts need to be addressed right away, so now, with the 2021 NFL Draft approaching, it’s time to find some depth for the guys that play in the trenches.

Here’s a versatile lineman that could interest the Philadelphia Eagles brass.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet former West Virginia Mountaineers standout Chase Behrndt. Standing at six-foot-four and tipping the scales at 315 pounds, Behrndt is a mountain of a man that possesses the elite athletic ability and the skill set to be a star at the next level.

Behrndt has the violent hands at the point of contact that coaches covet, which keeps defenders off of his body. He’s a true road grader that plays nasty, one that can set the tone for an offense. His most impressive trait however might be his versatility. He can play both guard positions and the center position without having any drop-offs in the overall quality.

Here are a couple of quotes for Philadelphia Eagles fans to chew on.

I had the chance to sit down with the West Virginia product recently, and I asked him what position he feels most comfortable playing as well as what he brings to an NFL locker room. Here’s what he had to say:

"I feel like my best position is at the center. I love being the leader of the line and keeping myself and others in check. I love the responsibility and work aspect of the position, but if it was needed for me to play another position, I wouldn’t have a problem doing so. (I’ll do) whatever it takes to help the team."

Behrndt also talked about how he might be able to fit into an NFL locker room like that of the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I feel like I bring a lot of personality to the locker room and the football field. I have been told by teammates that I bring some joy to their days that could potentially help on a bad day, but I know when to flip the switch and get the job done by doing the work needed to become a better player. I will always be the hardest-working version of myself for my future team."

Again, this Eagles rebuild has been mentioned more times than we can count, but if Hurts winds up being what Philly hopes he can be, they’ll be on their way more quickly. Protecting him should be priority number one for the Birds’ front office.

If this team can also add a versatile weapon like West Virginia’s Chase Behrndt, that would be a huge step in making that happen. With his rare combination of size, freak athleticism, and a high football IQ, Behrndt could be a great acquisition that Philly might be wise to invest in.