Mike Vrabel's staff is changing positions for a recent Patriots draft pick in a move that could make or break his career

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Kyle Crabbs | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 1:43 PM ET

Mike Vrabel’s efforts to overhaul the New England Patriots are sparing no expense this offseason. There’s been an influx of free agents that hope to quickly raise the floor of New England’s roster. The proven success of the coaches surrounding young quarterback Drake Maye bring hope for massive growth. But the job for Vrabel isn’t to simply spend money and kick Maye into high gear; he’s got the chance to breathe life into a whole bunch of other young talents who arrived in New England before him.

One such talent is defender Marte Mapu, who has struggled to find his footing through two seasons in the NFL. Mapu, the 76th overall choice in the 2023 NFL Draft, has been erratic through his first two seasons of play, which included nine starts for New England in 2024. With Patriots minicamp coming to a close, there’s growing clarity on how Vrabel and his staff are attempting to successfully turn Mapu's career around.

He’s now classified as a linebacker on the Patriots’ roster after his overlap with the linebackers caught some attention during on-field workouts this summer.

Marte Mapu warming up with the linebackers pic.twitter.com/nqFkkjtWOm
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) June 10, 2025

Mapu isn’t guaranteed success in this transition, but it is worth noting that there have been several big safeties who have come to the NFL and successfully made this transition. Jamien Sherwood was a college safety before converting to linebacker, and Sherwood just got $15 million per season on a new contract with the New York Jets this offseason. Divine Deablo is another recent example who made the switch. Deablo signed a deal this offseason with Atlanta that averaged $7 million annually.

Mapu has a clear blueprint to follow. The pathway to playing time in New England has several barriers after New England signed Robert Spillane and Jack Gibbens this offseason. They join Jahlani Tavai and Christian Elliss off the ball to give the Patriots plenty of options. But Mapu’s range and athleticism can be effective in a situational role off the ball if he takes to his new position opportunities well.

Mapu has always been predominantly a box player. But teaching him to attack those responsibilities as an actual linebacker could kickstart a promising skill set into finding his footing under new leadership in 2025.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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