Can Former Third-Round Pick Survive Patriots Roster Cuts?

The New England Patriots, metaphorically speaking, have many “Swords of Damocles” hanging over them as the NFL’s deadline for roster reduction approaches.

The Pats face several difficult decisions regarding a number of position groups, which — for better or worse — must be made by 4:00pm ET on Tuesday. With their preseason slate now behind them, roster hopefuls have essentially two camp practices remaining on Sunday and Monday to catch the proverbial sharp eye of head coach Mike Vrabel and the Pats’ roster-building brain trust — among them, Patriots safety-turned-linebacker Marte Mapu.

Despite having aligned predominantly at safety for the past two seasons, Mapu has dallied into making the switch to linebacker throughout training camp and the preseason. In fact, the 25-year-old is now listed with the linebackers positional group on the team’s website — an effort spearheaded by head coach Mike Vrabel to make him a factor in the Pats’ defense.

Mapu has both practiced and played at various spots on the defensive side of the ball since first donning a Patriots uniform — including a brief flirtation with the hybrid role now assigned to him by Vrabel. As such, he has played both an off-the-ball role, as well as the deep safety spot. However, this summer’s positional switch appears to have invigorated his game. Not only has he become a more consistent tackler, but his lateral athleticism has led to better hand placement and greater ability to shed blocks when defending the run. In two preseason games, Mapu compiled nine total tackles — five of which came during the Pats’ preseason finale — and one pass deflection in their preseason opener.

Still, Mapu’s 2025 preseason cycle provides only a small sample from which Vrabel and the Pats coaches may use when determining his spot —if any — on the team. Accordingly, they are likely to also consider his previous body of work.

Since joining the team in 2023, Mapu has been off to a slow start in his NFL tenure. The Patriots third-round pick (No. 76 overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft played in 17 games and aligned on 204 (approx. 18 percent) of the team’s defensive snaps during his rookie season. Mapu finished the year with 18 tackles, one interception, a pass break-up and a forced fumble. Though he started 2024 on injured reserve, the Sacramento State product logged 46 total tackles, six passes-defensed, three forced fumbles and one interception. 

In the final analysis, Mapu may find his best fit within Vrabel’s defense as a weakside linebacker. At 6’3”, 230-pounds, he fits the mold of agile, athletic linebackers, capable of relentlessly pursuing the quarterback — a group which includes Robert Spillane, Jack Gibbens, Christian Elliss and Harold Landry.

Provided he is able to build upon his experience as a box player, training him for full-time linebacker duties could allow the hard-hitting defender to reach his potential, while becoming a significant factor in the Patriots' defense in 2025.