New England Patriots safety Adrian Phillips has been offering up some initial impressions of players early in training camp. One of the players mentioned that have particularly caught Phillips’ eye has been Marte Mapu.
The rookie third-round draft pick’s versatility as both a linebacker and safety is exceptional in its own right, but Phillips has been impressed by the effectiveness Mapu is having at both positions.
“I have to think. Off the top of my head, I don’t know if I have (seen players Mapu’s size that can play anywhere),” said Phillips. “You see a lot of guys that come in that are tweeners that play linebacker and safety like that but not really excel at it.”
Here’s Adrian Phillips’ full quote on whether he’s seen a player like Patriots rookie Marte Mapu who’s 230 pounds and can play anywhere from linebacker to free safety: pic.twitter.com/eH2Q6xt0Tm
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) August 1, 2023
Mapu comes to New England after having a productive senior season for Sacramento State. He recorded 76 total tackles and was named to the first-team All-Big Sky Conference.
That success is beginning to carry over at the next level with Mapu putting together a strong training camp for a Patriots defense that could use depth at the linebacker position.
Mapu would be another draft steal on the defensive side of the ball, which seems to be the norm for Patriots coach Bill Belichick at this point. Here’s to hoping he can carry his preseason momentum into the regular season.
