Top 30 Visit: Patriots Host Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year

The New England Patriots hosted versatile Sacramento State defensive star Marte Mapu in a Top 30 visit this week.

Marte Mapu, the reigning Big Sky Conference Player of the Year, visited the New England Patriots in a Top 30 visit on Monday, per NFL insider Aaron Wilson.

Mapu, who played linebacker, cornerback and even nickel corner over his six-year collegiate tenure at FCS level Sacramento State, racked up 76 tackles, 6 1/2 tackles for loss and two interceptions in 2022. Despite not receiving an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6-3 and 217-pound Mapu has visited at least a dozen different teams over the past few weeks.  

The Beast draft guide ranks the 23-year-old as the No. 100-ranked player in this year's class, slotting Mapu anywhere between a third- and fourth-round pick.

"A two-year starter at Sacramento State, Mapu lined up as the “rover” in head coach Andy Thompson’s scheme, a hybrid nickel position," Brugler writes. "He was consistently productive in that role and started all 25 games the past two seasons, becoming the second player in school history to be named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year. Mapu is a good-sized athlete with outstanding diagnose skills to quickly read passrun and swarm to the play. His aggressiveness can be a double-edged sword."

With New England losing last season's starting free safety Devin McCourty to retirement, Mapu could end up as a feasible Day 2 option. 

And if head coach Bill Belichick is known for one thing, it's drafting defensive players able to play multiple positions. Just ask safety/linebacker and 2020 second-round pick Kyle Dugger.

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