Texans Pull Off Surprise Move, Land LB Marte Mapu in Blockbuster Trade

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) April 29, 2023

Mapu, 26, spent his three seasons with the Patriots as a backup linebacker and occasional safety. His great speed and awareness made him a dangerous tackling machine coming out of Sacramento State, but he was never able to consistently crack the starting lineup, often due to injuries. In his 3 years with the Patriots, Mapu tallied:

44 Games (10 Starts)
89 Tackles, 1 QB Hit, 0.5 Sacks, 12 Pass Deflections, 5 Forced Fumbles, 1 Fumble Recovery, 3 Interceptions
2025 Stats: 17 Games (0 Starts, 121 Defensive Snaps), 25 Tackles, 5 Pass Deflections, 1 Forced Fumble, 80.4 DEF Grade

Mapu is 6’ 3” 230 lbs. and runs like a bat out of hell, but multiple turnovers on the defensive coaching staff and several injuries derailed his young career. Not unlike former Texan LB Christian Harris, Mapu had seen his stock gradually fall with the team that drafted him for a few unfortunate reasons, but he still remains an intriguing player that can excel in a depth role. In 2025, however, instead of finding success as an interim off-ball linebacker, Mapu instead blossomed on special teams. According to Pats Pulpit’s Bernd Buchmasser, special teams is where Mapu found is forté, where an excellent personal protector:

He did haul in an interception, but his biggest impact on the Patriots’ operation still came elsewhere: the kicking game. Mapu was a four-unit special teamer in 2025 and played 59.5% of snaps in the game’s third phase. He registered 13 combined tackles between the regular season and playoffs and added a forced fumble.

He also served as the personal protector on the punt team, a fairly important job that includes setting the protection up front. With the 26-year-old running the show, New England did not surrender any blocked punts in 2025. – Bernd Buchmasser

So, even though Mapu was not the star linebacker New England was hoping for, he still was a big help on special teams. With Christian Harris now departing Houston for Atlanta and the Texans bringing in former Saints punter Kai Kroeger to replace Tommy Townsend, a veteran special teamer was in order. Marte Mapu gives Houston that at a minimum, and has the athletic upside to be a potential contributor on defense in a pinch.

What do you think, though? Was Marte Mapu worth the 6th round pick, or is general manager Nick Caserio right for making this move? Let us know down on the comments below!

GO TEXANS!