Patriots select Sacramento State linebacker Marte Mapu in third round of the 2023 NFL Draft
Mapu is a versatile prospect who plays linebacker and safety.
For the third pick in a row, the Patriots selected a defensive player in the 2023 NFL Draft.
New England selected Marte Mapu, a hybrid safety/linebacker from Sacramento State with the No. 76 overall pick during the third round.
Mapu said that he took 15 pre-draft visits, and joked that the trips helped him increase his frequent flyer miles. The 6-foot-3, 221-pound senior was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine but performed well at the Senior Bowl.
“I think it was just a mix of my unique situation, being that I didn’t get to go to the combine and there were some questions that I had to answer at my Pro Day. A lot of teams just wanted to have a further evaluation of me and kind of just get to know me a little bit more. I think that’s where it came from.”
Mapu is recovering from a torn pectoral muscle, which he injured in February. He said he expects to be ready by training camp.
Versatility is a strength for Mapu, who played five positions in high school, including wide receiver, linebacker, and safety. The Big Sky conference player of the year registered 76 tackles, including 6.5 for loss.
He said he got to meet most of the Patriots’ coaching staffers during his visit to New England.
“I got to see pretty much everybody on the staff,” Mapu said. “It was pretty much getting to know me and seeing how I was going to be. Because me, how I viewed it, was what is the environment going to be that I was stepping into and what the relationship was going to be like.”
Mapu said that it was cool being in the same room as Bill Belichick and is eager to get started.
“I’m just somebody who all they really know is football,” Mapu said. “This is what I live, this is all I really think about. This is fun for me. This is a part of my life. This is all I put my energy into. I got hard at it. I try to perfect myself. As I go as a person, I go in football and vice versa. I just am really intense when it comes to this. This is kind of all I want to be. And this is all I do.”
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