2023's draft was a successful one for the Patriots, with star cornerback Christian Gonzalez drafted in the first round and 2024 joint team sack leader Keion White selected in the second round. In the sixth round, the team selected receivers Kayshon Boutte and Pop Douglas, who led the team in yards at the position this past season.
The team even added punter Bryce Baringer on day three. One player that has been a rotational piece from that class is the 76th overall pick, Marte Mapu.
Mapu, selected in the third round from Sacramento State, was initially selected as a safety. At his Pro Day, he weighed in with safety (albeit large safety) measurements, at just under 6-foot-3 and 217 pounds. Since then, he has bulked up to 230 pounds, according to Patriots.com.
In 2024, under Jerod Mayo and DeMarcus Covington, Mapu played 45% of his defensive snaps in the box. While it wasn't a full-time role, it appears he will transition to a more bona fide linebacker in 2025 under Terrell Williams. On Patriots.com, he's now listed as a linebacker.
Marte Mapu offers something different to the Patriots' linebacker room
Currently, the linebacker room features several players who are very similar to one another. Robert Spillane is a big-ticket item they added in free agency, while Jahlani Tavai and Christian Elliss will work beside him. All three are solid against the run, but generally struggle in coverage.
New addition Jack Gibbens was highly regarded, according to PFF, grading as the 13th-best coverage linebacker and 12th-best linebacker overall. The trouble is that he played just 234 snaps compared to Mapu's 487. Mapu offers a solid coverage option that has proven his ability through a larger sample size than Gibbens has.
Marcus Epps and Craig Woodson were added in the offseason, and Jaylinn Hawkins returned on a one-year deal. The safety room is more talented than the linebackers are, and it was getting awfully crowded.
Mapu's strong special-teams performances across two seasons should also allow him to keep a roster spot, along with his coverage ability. The Patriots will face the Bills and Jets twice, as well as the Ravens, three teams with very mobile quarterbacks. He graded out the best this season against Allen, and I'd expect him to have special roles in games against mobile QBs in 2025.