Final draft grades round-up for Patriots LB Marte Mapu

The New England Patriots are known for selecting at least one mostly unknown player from a small school in the draft each year, and they didn’t disappoint in the 2023 NFL draft with their third-round pick being Sacramento State linebacker/safety Marte Mapu.

Anyone that does homework on Mapu would quickly find a hidden treasure of a defensive talent. Mapu plays fast, loose and violent on the football field. He’s like a magnet that always seems to be around the ball.

It’s no surprise the pick has generated a tremendous amount of praise.

Mapu recently revealed the late, great Junior Seau was his uncle. So his arrival in New England makes for both a feel-good story and a needed addition for a unit that could use more speed in the middle of the defense.

Here’s how people were grading the Patriots’ No. 76 overall pick after the draft:

Pro Football Network: A-

Pro Football Network’s Oliver Hodgkinson gave the Patriots high marks for the Marte Mapu draft selection:

Marte Mapu is a versatile piece who blurs the line between safety and linebacker, with his 6’2”, 217-pound frame. He’s a physical force with fluidity and the football intelligence to be an impact-maker in multiple phases. As a result, Mapu should find an early role on the Patriots.

Patriots Wire: B+

Patriots Wire’s Cam Garrity thinks Marte Mapu ties all of the defensive moves for New England together:

Mapu can defend the run, cover a lot of ground and gives the Patriots someone they feel can run with the elite quarterbacks in the game. Although the Patriots went defense on the first two days, I felt Mapu was a piece that tied it all together.

The Athletic: A-

The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman sees Mapu as packing a big punch for the Patriots, assuming that he’s healthy:

Blessed with a linebacker body (6-3, 221) and long arms (78 ¾ wingspan), Mapu is a heavy hitter and covers like a safety. He had a leg muscle injury in Mobile and couldn’t compete in the game, then tore a pec muscle during training and couldn’t work out for teams. Mapu might have to redshirt for a season, but if he’s healthy, he could become an asset right away in subpackages and on special teams.

Yahoo! Sports: A

Yahoo! Sports’ Charles McDonald praised the fact that Mapu was a sideline-to-sideline player:

Mapu is a prototype linebacker every team is looking for, but he’s coming from a lower level of football. He needs to bulk up a little. The primary upside: he’s a great athlete and can make plays all over the field.

SB Nation: A+

SB Nation’s Joseph Acosta loves the addition of Mapu to the Patriots defense:

God, yes. Mapu is a safety/LB hybrid who fills the hole with bad intentions. He’s also an experienced player in the middle of the field, and has instincts in coverage. Homerun pick for the Pats.