This Versatile Patriots Rookie Had ‘No Idea’ Where He’d Play

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Marte Mapu is listed on the New England Patriots' official roster as a 6-foot-3, 216-pound linebacker. But for the last several practices, the vast majority of the third-round rookie's reps came at safety.

So, what is his actual position?

"Wherever they put me out there at," Mapu said Monday after the Patriots' first mandatory minicamp practice.

But how should we refer to him? Marte Mapu the linebacker? Or Marte Mapu the safety?

"Call me whatever they tell you to call me," he replied with a smile, gesturing to the Patriots' coaches.

Fair enough. Whatever his title, Mapu's NFL career is off to an impressive start.

"I've been playing football for forever, so I feel comfortable period just being on the football field, in all honesty."

Patriots rookie defender Marte Mapu

Though he's practicing in a red non-contact jersey as he recovers from pre-draft pectoral surgery, the Sacramento State product has been one of New England's most disruptive defenders in the team's recent spring practices. He tallied an interception and a pass breakup in the Patriots' final organized team activity last Friday, then notched another PBU on Day 1 of minicamp.

A multipositional "nickel back" in college, Mapu has showcased his versatility by repping as both a sub linebacker and a deep safety, making him a surprise entry in the wide-open competition to replace Devin McCourty.

"I'm just comfortable doing whatever they ask me to do right now," Mapu said. "They watched my film, they know my technique, so I just try to follow through with whatever they have me do."

He added: "I've been playing football for forever, so I feel comfortable period just being on the football field, in all honesty. I don't really think it comes down to wherever I line up."

Mapu said he's played "everywhere" over the course of his football career, including quarterback and defensive tackle in his youth, so bouncing around to multiple spots is nothing new to him. And he's needed to be adaptable because the Patriots didn't present him with a clear roadmap for how he'd be used after they drafted him with the 76th overall pick in late April.

"I had no idea what the plans would be, honestly," Mapu said. "Just going through the process, a lot of stuff was up in the air, but being here, it's just whatever they ask me to do."

That tracks with what head coach Bill Belichick said shortly after the team selected Mapu.

"We'll have to see how it goes," Belichick said on draft night. "(His role) might change from week to week dependent on our opponent and what we're playing in the defense and so forth. He's shown versatility and his skillset. He's a smart kid. Definitely understands defensive concepts and what they did and how they were doing it. So when we get a chance to work with him, we'll start to figure that out."

When he arrived in Foxboro, Mapu joined a Patriots secondary that's loaded with hybrid players, be they safety/linebackers like Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips and Jabrill Peppers or cornerback/safeties like Jalen Mills, Jonathan Jones and Myles Bryant. He's sought insight from those veteran teammates, as well as former Patriots who've been around the team this spring.

Retired safety Patrick Chung attended one OTA practice last week, and McCourty was on hand for Monday's minicamp opener.

"I try to talk to honestly everybody in the building," Mapu said. "It's just good to get insight from players that have played at a high level. This has been a good organization for the past, what, two, maybe even 2 1/2 decades. So anybody I can learn from, whether it's current player or past, coaches, I talk to everybody."