When Mike Vrabel arrived in New England, one of the changes he made was moving Marte Mapu from safety to linebacker. In his first two years with the Patriots, Mapu split his snaps at safety and linebacker and was used as a versatile piece under Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo.
The move to full-time linebacker comes as Mapu failed to improve in coverage, receiving a 54 and 62.7 pass-coverage grade in two years, per PFF. Mapu is listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, although he says he’s closer to 215, which would make him one of their lighter linebackers.
With Vrabel’s vision of having versatility at the position, this could work in Mapu’s favor, having been his original position in college. However, Mapu must make an immediate impact, or else his days in New England are over.
Marte Mapu’s Days Are Numbered
With Jahlani Tavai placed on the short-term injured reserve, this puts Mapu in a position to earn more reps at inside linebacker. Although he’ll still have to compete for reps with Jack Gibbens and Christian Elliss, it allows Mapu to showcase his hybrid skillset.
We got to see a little glimpse of Mapu at the position in preseason, recording eight tackles and one pass breakup in 71 total snaps. His best game was last week against the Giants, where he made four great tackles, receiving a 79.7 tackle grade per PFF.
Marte Mapu, linebacker looking good against the Giants last night. pic.twitter.com/77H1fmLU6u
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) August 22, 2025
While Mapu has been great in his new position, he must maintain it. The Patriots have already filled Mapu’s void at his former position, selecting Craig Woodson in this year’s draft. If Mapu is unable to make an impact in his new role, he won’t be able to revert to safety.
So far, Mapu has been promising and looks comfortable playing at the position. Hopefully, Mapu will be able to carve out a rotational role in a crowded linebacker room.