Patriots rookie Marte Mapu emerging as versatile defende

Patriots

“I had my hand in the dirt and everything. I think I’ve played everything.”

FOXBORO — Marte Mapu kept things straightforward on Monday afternoon.

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

So what should the media label him as? Linebacker? Safety?

“Call me whatever they tell you to call me,” Mapu said of the Patriots and his role in their defense.

It was a simple response for a young player whose early snaps in New England have been anything but.

While May and June are often the time when rookies are simply tasked with learning their coaches’ gameplan and basic schemes, Mapu has been slotted all over the depth chart in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills against Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.

“I think it goes into the evolution of the game when you talk about guys being able to play multiple positions,” veteran safety Adrian Phillips said of Mapu on Friday. “Seeing him out there on the field, it all looks comfortable for him. It looks like stuff that he’s seen before.”

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

“I feel like I’ve played everywhere,” Mapu said. “I had my hand in the dirt and everything. I think I’ve played everything.”

Despite clocking in at 6-foot-3 and 216 pounds, Mapu was primarily utilized as a defensive back during his collegiate career at Sacramento State. But given his blend of speed and size, Mapu was also moved all the way up to the defensive line at times.

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

“How our team was used in college, we were kind of a game plan team,” Mapu said of his various roles and his scouting profile while in college. “And we would change, not only game to game, but year to year. So I kind of feel like it was just up to how you viewed me — whether it was at your school and game planning against me, or if you were a scout.”

So far, Mapu has made his presence felt across New England’s defense. After standing out during Friday’s final OTA session with an interception and a pass breakup, Mapu batted down another throw during Monday’s minicamp session.

Mapu has also turned heads over these last few weeks while donning a red, non-contact jersey. Even though minicamp does not feature live contact, Mapu is still recovering from a torn pectoral muscle he suffered while bench pressing in February.

“Football is football,” Mapu said. “It just comes down to reading your keys, understanding and knowing your personnel. … I feel like I don’t have to do everything, you know what I’m saying? That’s the difference between here and college. There might be different requirements compared to being here. It’s just doing your job.”

It remains to be seen how Mapu’s role will continue to evolve in New England’s defense, especially with more than a month still separating the rookie from training camp.

But so far, the California native is putting himself in the mix for valuable reps this fall.

“I’m doing everything I can on my part, but it’s hard to tell what the process looks like because one, we’re not in pads, two, we’re really far from the season and haven’t played any real games yet,” Mapu said. “But on the other hand, I’m just trying to soak up as much as I can and grow every day.

“I’m comfortable doing anything they ask me to do, they watched my film, they know my strengths and weaknesses, I just try to follow through with whatever they ask me to do.”