DRAFT Marte Mapu - Round 3 - #76th Overall

[Ivan]

I guess Darnell Washington wasn’t on their board. Cause he was available at 76.

I heard he dropped like a stone because of medical reports.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

Lazar - not a Dugger replacement:

 

[*ChungFu*]

I agree with Lazar's take.
Mapu is a young and undersized coverage linebacker with blitz/spy and room for at least ten more pounds. Dugger-Philips-Peppers haven't shown much coverage ability to date for Safeties. But he isn't here to replace them.

 

[PancakeBlockPaul]

Not a ringing endorsement there.

All the Mac haters will love this…this dude takes over when Mac and Zappe go down and we go to the promised land. Edelman dreamed of this happening I’m sure back when he was playing. Well since Mapu and Jules had qb xp…if only in H.s and Uni… /s

 

[Joey007]

I can’t understand how people will think he’s too light to be a LB.

Do people not realize Fred Warner is only 230 at 6’3? Mapu can easily get bulked up to 225 at least. Jerome Baker and JOK in Cleveland are also playing in the 220’s at LB.

 

[BelizePats]

I guess Darnell Washington wasn’t on their board. Cause he was available at 76.

This is where I feel a huge opportuity was missed.

 

[TheBeers]

Count me as another that would've liked D-Wash with this pick.. That said, this dude looks like he can play, he's an athletic tackling machine

 

[Gator Mike]

I can’t understand how people will think he’s too light to be a LB.

Do people not realize Fred Warner is only 230 at 6’3? Mapu can easily get bulked up to 225 at least. Jerome Baker and JOK in Cleveland are also playing in the 220’s at LB.

Matt Milano and Deion Jones are both roughly Mapu's size, no? And they're both good for roughly 100 tackles/year.

 

[Joey007]

Matt Milano and Deion Jones are both roughly Mapu's size, no? And they're both good for roughly 100 tackles/year.

So many guys anymore are around that 230 frame. LB’s aren’t 260 anymore

 

[long distance]

I feel they coulda/shoulda drafted a WR or OT at this spot as those positions need upgrading.

ok . who was the upgrade at those positions at #76 (or even higher if you wanted trading up)?
+
you dont think the complete incapability of stopping Bills (esp QB run/mid field) in any (normal) game over the last yrs needed addressing?
(and they just added a potential monster TE/big slot prospect..)
They hardly ever punted and unless you solve this the rest doesnt matter much.

Dugger is a beast but he just cant cover backwards/crossers/mid filed or consistently. Its 3 years, its not going to change.
Same for Phillips, Peppers. Same for every other LB on the roster.
Is Mapu the guy to solve this? IDK . but it does look like a move in that direction.. together w Gonzo, Joneses all movable pieces..

It was the #1 priority in my book (esp in a draft w no tackles) . and im glad they addressed it with all first 3 picks.

_______

btw - heres another pre-draft take - w comp to Jeremy Chinn

 

[RobertWeathers]

ok . who was the upgrade at those positions at #76 (or even higher if you wanted trading up)?
+
you dont think the complete incapability of stopping Bills (esp QB run/mid field) in any (normal) game over the last yrs needed addressing?
(and they just added a potential monster TE/big slot prospect..)
They hardly ever punted and unless you solve this the rest doesnt matter much.

Dugger is a beast but he just cant cover backwards/crossers/mid filed or consistently. Its 3 years, its not going to change.
Same for Phillips, Peppers. Same for every other LB on the roster.
Is Mapu the guy to solve this? IDK . but it does look like a move in that direction.. together w Gonzo, Joneses all movable pieces..

It was the #1 priority in my book (esp in a draft w no tackles) . and im glad they addressed it with all first 3 picks.

_______

btw - heres another pre-draft take - w comp to Jeremy Chinn

Let's think more broadly about this. Last year BUF scored 24 and 35 points vs us and in the 2nd game we allowed 14 points on special teams. That's an average of 22.5 offensive ppg allowed while the NEP scored 10 and 23 points. That's 16.5ppg. They didn't lose b/c their D sucked. It could have been better but they lost because of ST and a pathetic offense. Going 7-25 on 3rd down both games is not going to get it done.

This team has zero chance to pass KC, BUF and CIN without an explosive offense and playing smart football. I'm fine w/ the Gonzalez and the White pick. Need CBs and pass rushers vs BUF.

They drafted an in the box SS. As i've said the player is OK. The question is was it a higher priority than WR or OT? I don't think it was.

I'm not going to lay out 283 scenarios for trading up for a WR/OT and for whom. Groh said they liked a couple of players but didn't pull the trigger. Anyway you slice it WR and OT is a need. They need scoring and to control the LoS

 

[Gator Mike]

They drafted an in the box SS. As i've said the player is OK. The question is was it a higher priority than WR or OT? I don't think it was.

Are the Patriots really in a position where they can pass up talent in favor of need?

I don't think so.

 

[upstater1]

Are the Patriots really in a position where they can pass up talent in favor of need?

I don't think so.

Well, yes, the Patriots think so because that's exactly what they did.

I think people are missing out on the fact that Groh spoke to Reiss yesterday and told him that they were trying to trade out of the 3rd round.

This tells me they DO believe they took Mapu a round too early. He also said they were unsuccesful in trading up, no one wanted more picks, and that teams were looking to trade picks into next year.

This was a weak draft where the Patriots, like many teams, were stuck in no man's land.

I believe the Patriots had several guys they knew they absolutely wanted, but they also knew that they had no 5th rounder, & that they had to gamble on using the picks they had to take the guys they wanted because they wouldn't last until the middle of the 6th round.

Mafi is the only guy that strikes me as a player taken as best available.

They wanted Mapu, Andrews, Ryland and Sow. None of these 4 guys would be available in the 6th round. They had 5 picks to take these 4 guys.

This is why they reached for Mapu.

As I said, if it were me, I would've taken Henley who will play the same position as Mapu, but do it better.

But I totally understand the Patriots' reasoning. It's strategic and logical.

 

[PatsFan2]

Tore his pec in February, so He won’t be ready for camp, and of course he will have to learn a new system, and play against people who won’t be selling insurance. You would think after a year watching Strange get turnstiled, BB would have learned that their is a reason these guys were recruited.

So we Reached for a Guy with a Torn pec real BB Draft special there.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Are the Patriots really in a position where they can pass up talent in favor of need?

I don't think so.

Depends on the position I guess.

Clearly the player needs to have talent in order to make an impact but if a uber-talented player is sitting there and you project the need a year down the road then I guess it makes sense to grab him today.

 

[PatsFan2]

I guess Darnell Washington wasn’t on their board. Cause he was available at 76.

Can't wait to see Mapu try to tackle him.

 

[Sicilian]

Can't wait to see Mapu try to tackle him.

Hit him low (test that knee) or put a linebacker on him. I doubt they're going to intentionally isolate Mapu on a guy like Washington.

 

[Scotty]

Is Marte now the player type / role that the Pats tried first with Cameron McGrone now with the Colts. At the moment Marte is about 15-20lbs lighter than McGrone was when he was with the team (circa 235 lbs)

 

[Uptown]

 

[203Pat]

If they use him like an ILB in the 2023 mold of an NFL ILB then I am fine with the pick. If they try to use him in some weird hybrid way where he doesn't end up with a real role then I am worried about him.