Sac State NFL draft prospect Marte Mapu should be ready for training camp after surgery
The main attraction at Sacramento State football’s pro day Friday was out of commission.
Marte Mapu, the Hornets’ standout defender and 2023 NFL draft prospect, had his right arm in a sling and was withheld from workouts after suffering a torn pectoral muscle during pre-draft training in February.
The muscle ripped off the bone during a bench pressing session, requiring surgery, though Mapu is telling teams he expects to be fully cleared in time for training camp this summer. He might participate in organized team activities beforehand.
“The injury? I can’t control that,” Mapu said in a conversation with The Sacramento Bee on Friday. “It was tough when it first happened. I was irritated when it happened just because I expected to come out here and do well just based on how my training was going. Besides that, I’ve just been doing what I can — staying mentally sharp.”
The NFL draft will be held April 27-29. Mapu is expected to have so-called “top-30” visits with at least 14 NFL teams, a source said, including a meeting earlier this week with the San Francisco 49ers, who could be in the market for a hybrid safety-linebacker of Mapu’s skillset. Mapu played primarily nickel corner and safety in college, but could transition to a hybrid linebacker role at the next level.
He played linebacker at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, an All-Star game for draft prospects in January, and worked at linebacker during the Senior Bowl. He impressed scouts and onlookers with his physicality and ability to diagnose running plays. He was a late addition to the Senior Bowl and wasn’t invited to the scouting combine.
“I know the gaps, I know the responsibilities, but being out there (at linebacker) was a little bit different,” Mapu said.
Mapu was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, Stats Perform and Athlon Sports in 2022 during the Hornets’ first-ever undefeated regular season. Mapu was the second player in school history to be named Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He spent six years at Sacramento State, including a redshirt year in 2017 and a season that was wiped out due to the pandemic.
“Marte Mapu has meant a lot to our program,” Hornets head coach Andy Thompson said. “How well he prepared for practice, games, workouts, how he took care of his body and how he treated. So he’s leaving a great legacy of hard work and a kid that really developed over his time here at Sac State.”
Thompson said Mapu’s versatility stood out between the lines. Mapu was listed at 217 pounds and expected to run the 40-yard dash in the 4.5 range. He spent most of his time in college playing in space covering receivers and linebackers, which should translate to the pass-happy NFL. 49ers linebacker Fred Warner played a similar position at BYU before moving to a more traditional linebacker role when he got to San Francisco.
“He’s just so multiple,” Thompson said of Mapu. “He could play man-to-man on a slot receiver. He could step in the box and be a linebacker against the run. And then he was a good blitzer. I think he led the team in interceptions two years ago. Just great versatility. He really learned the game so he maximized all his talent.”
Mapu grew up in Hawthorne, just south of Inglewood in Los Angeles. He’s a self-proclaimed football junky who doesn’t have many other interests when he’s not at the Hornets’ facility.
“I’m pretty much all football,” he said. “If you ask my coaches, I don’t lie about that.”
There was no NFL team in Los Angeles while he was growing up, so he adopted the Pittsburgh Steelers. But his father had access to Sunday Ticket, leading to Mapu closely watching every team.
When it comes to comparing himself to NFL players, Mapu wouldn’t name just one. He’s spent most of his time studying safeties, going through the NFL’s top-100 list and finding players to pick up tricks from by watching film.
“I watch everybody that’s good,” Mapu said. “I’ve told all the scouts this. I could list at least 20 players that I’ve watched. I don’t watch just one person routinely. If you’re good at football, I’ll watch you.”
Mapu was considered a possible mid-round draft prospect before the injury, though it’s unclear how it will impact his status. His other top-30 meetings include the Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers and Tennessee Titans. The 49ers, Panthers, Packers and Bears had scouts at Friday’s pro day.
