"Originally selected as a safety, Mapu had a productive four seasons at Sacramento State, playing nearly 1,800 snaps. The majority of his snaps during his senior year came as a slot cornerback, despite his 6-foot-3, 230-pound build. He played only 204 snaps as a rookie, splitting time between playing in the box and as a deep man. The same was the case in his sophomore season, though in a larger role."
"Despite moving around, he was unable to achieve any major success at the position, recording grades of 50.0 and 63.4 in his first two years. During the offseason, Mike Vrabel began referring to him as a linebacker rather than a safety, and eventually, the Patriots' official website began listing him as a linebacker rather than denoting him as a safety."
Marte Mapu entered the NFL as a 2023 third-round pick originally listed as a safety after four productive seasons at Sacramento State. He logged most of his senior snaps as a slot cornerback despite a 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame. Early NFL seasons saw limited work, with 204 rookie snaps and modest PFF grades of 50.0 and 63.4. Coaching and roster shifts led to a positional reclassification to linebacker. Competition for snaps increased with veteran additions, yet Mapu has achieved a career-best 70.1 PFF grade and an exceptional Week 2 performance with a pivotal interception.
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