Bills Host Marte Mapu for Draft Visit; Late-Round Steal?

As the draft nears closer, the Buffalo Bills held a pre-draft visit with the talented hybrid safety/linebacker out of Sacramento State.

The Buffalo Bills last season fielded one of the NFL's best defenses as they held opponents to 17.9 points per game, good for second in the league, on just 300.4 yards of total offense.

However, this offseason they saw linebacker Tremaine Edmunds leave via free agency to sign a four-year, $72 million contract with the Chicago Bears. 

While losing Edmunds definitely hurts, and a linebacker such as Iowa's Jack Campbell could be the pick at No. 27, the Bills were able to retain defensive talent in safety Jordan Poyer while adding pieces free agency with the signing of Taylor Rapp. 

Another option, though, is adding more defensive pieces in the later rounds of the draft - with one option for the Bills being Sacramento State's Marte Mapu. 

Buffalo hosted Mapu for a pre-draft visit according to the Sacramento Bee, which, while not a 100 percent indicator or guarantee he will be picked by the Bills, does show their interest in him as a prospect since teams are limited to 30 pre-draft visits. 

In his four seasons at Sacramento State, Mapu showed a knack for finding the ball, recording 165 total tackles with 13 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. He also showcased his coverage skills with seven interceptions and 22 passes defended. 

There is no telling how high of a priority the Bills will place on defense when the draft finally begins later this month, especially at the No. 27 overall pick. If they do go defense, however, Mapu could be a name to keep an eye on when they're on the clock in later rounds.

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You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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