Marte Mapu Complete NFL Draft Profile (Impressive Work Ethic Could See Teams Reach)

Marte Mapu isn't the most well-known prospect in football, but his solid play at Sacramento State has earned him a spot in the 2023 NFL Draft. He's excelled at creating defensive havoc thus far, making it interesting to see if similar success awaits him in the NFL.

Here's everything you need to know about Marte Mapu heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.

Marte Mapu Draft Stock & Mock Draft Projections

Mock draft sources accurate as of 4/24:  Sporting News, CBS, ESPN.

Projected Draft Round: Round 3 (1), Round 5 (1), Round 7 (1)
Projected Team: Buccaneers (1), Seahawks (1), Giants (1)

Marte Mapu Scouting Report

Marte Mapu continued impressing during his final year at Sacramento State. He finished the year with new personal-best marks in total tackles (76), solo tackles (42), and tackles for a loss (6.5) while adding six broken-up passes to the mix.

Mapu is an intelligent player who finds himself in the right place at the right time. He rarely makes undisciplined plays and makes sure that he takes the most effective angle to make a tackle. He's solid against the run but also has enough hand skills that he's able to break up passes and even come away with interceptions.

There are areas for improvement, of course. Mapu isn't the fastest player and could lose the ball carrier if they run out too wide. He also gets caught up with blockers, which is an issue that could get bigger at the next level. The fact that he played for an FCS school also means it remains to be seen how he fares against tougher competition.

Marte Mapu NFL Draft Prediction

Marte Mapu is an interesting case. Although he was a zero-star recruit and played for an FCS program, he overcame the odds and earned himself recognization ahead of the draft. He might not be the most well-known prospect, but he's at least worth a flyer.

I could see the Pittsburgh Steelers taking a chance on the Sacramento State product. For starters, Mapu has spoken in interviews about how he grew up a Steelers fan and would love to play for Mike Tomlin. The Pittsburgh head coach was actually in attendance at the Senior Bowl practices, where Mapu received rave reviews from on-lookers.

There's no doubt that Mapu's non-stop motor and work ethic would make him an instant fan favorite in the Steel City. Pittsburgh only has three Day 3 draft picks, though, with two in the seventh round. I don't see Mapu lasting that long, so I could see them trading up or even reaching with the fourth-rounder.

Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers (Round 4, 120th overall)

Check out more NFL Draft content from The Duel:

Marte Mapu NFL Combine Results

Marte Mapu Sacramento State Stats

Marte Mapu Sacramento State Highlights

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.