Patriots rookie Marte Mapu rising as versatile defender

Patriots

“I had my hand within the dust and the whole lot. I feel I’ve performed the whole lot.”

FOXBORO — Marte Mapu saved issues easy on Monday afternoon.

Regardless of spending a majority of his OTA and minicamp reps in New England’s defensive backfield, the 2023 third-round choose is listed as a linebacker on the official Patriots’ roster.

So what ought to the media label him as? Linebacker? Security?

“Name me no matter they inform you to name me,” Mapu mentioned of the Patriots and his function of their protection.

It was a easy response for a younger participant whose early snaps in New England have been something however.

Whereas Could and June are sometimes the time when rookies are merely tasked with studying their coaches’ gameplan and fundamental schemes, Mapu has been slotted everywhere in the depth chart in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills towards Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.

“I feel it goes into the evolution of the sport if you discuss guys having the ability to play a number of positions,” veteran security Adrian Phillips mentioned of Mapu on Friday. “Seeing him on the market on the sphere, all of it seems comfy for him. It seems like stuff that he’s seen earlier than.”

For Mapu, his jack-of-all-trades task is nothing new. From his Pop Warner days the place he even took snaps as a quarterback, Mapu has been everywhere in the gridiron.

“I really feel like I’ve performed all over the place,” Mapu mentioned. “I had my hand within the dust and the whole lot. I feel I’ve performed the whole lot.”

Regardless of clocking in at 6-foot-3 and 216 kilos, Mapu was primarily utilized as a defensive again throughout his collegiate profession at Sacramento State. However given his mix of velocity and dimension, Mapu was additionally moved all the best way as much as the defensive position at instances.

When New England took him with the 76th choose within the 2023 draft, he was tabbed as a linebacker.

“How our crew was utilized in school, we had been type of a sport plan crew,” Mapu mentioned of his numerous roles and his scouting profile whereas in school. “And we’d change, not solely sport to sport, however yr to yr. So I type of really feel prefer it was simply as much as the way you considered me — whether or not it was at your college and sport planning towards me, or in case you had been a scout.”

Up to now, Mapu has made his presence felt throughout New England’s protection. After standing out throughout Friday’s last OTA session with an interception and a move breakup, Mapu batted down one other throw throughout Monday’s minicamp session.

Mapu has additionally turned heads over these previous couple of weeks whereas donning a pink, non-contact jersey. Regardless that minicamp doesn’t characteristic stay contact, Mapu continues to be recovering from a torn pectoral muscle he suffered whereas bench urgent in February.

“Soccer is soccer,” Mapu mentioned. “It simply comes right down to studying your keys, understanding and figuring out your personnel. … I really feel like I don’t should do the whole lot, you realize what I’m saying? That’s the distinction between right here and school. There could be totally different necessities in comparison with being right here. It’s simply doing all your job.”

It stays to be seen how Mapu’s function will proceed to evolve in New England’s protection, particularly with greater than a month nonetheless separating the rookie from coaching camp.

However to this point, the California native is placing himself within the combine for invaluable reps this fall.

“I’m doing the whole lot I can on my half, nevertheless it’s exhausting to inform what the method seems like as a result of one, we’re not in pads, two, we’re actually removed from the season and haven’t performed any actual video games but,” Mapu mentioned. “However alternatively, I’m simply attempting to absorb as a lot as I can and develop every single day.

“I’m comfy doing something they ask me to do, they watched my movie, they know my strengths and weaknesses, I simply attempt to comply with via with no matter they ask me to do.”