FOXBORO — The Patriots should be counting on 2023 third-round pick Marte Mapu to play a bigger role on defense this season.

With safety Adrian Phillips released and Jalen Mills departing in free agency for the Giants, Mapu is now next on the depth chart behind starters Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers.

Playing 17.9% of defensive snaps last season in 17 games with 18 tackles, an interceptoin, pass breakup and forced fumble, Mapu knows he needs to be better as a second-year pro.

“I feel like there is a lot of improvement to be made. That’s just how I view myself. I hold myself to a high standard,” Mapu said. “I just want to be back to what I’m used to being. That’s really it. I need to be having a presence on the field and be dominant. But it starts with the day-by-day.”

Mayo said at the NFL Annual Meeting that the Patriots would use Mapu’s versatility — he was drafted as a linebacker — but that he would start off at safety.

Mapu is still trying to learn every position he might be asked to play.

“Just focusing on what they tell me to focus on,” he said. “Whoever I’m involved with, I might just talk to them more that day. So, if I did something and I was on the field with Pep, then I’m probably going to talk to (safeties coach) Brian (Belichick). If I did something and I was on the field with Ben (Ja’Whaun Bentley) or Joe (Giles-Harris), Raekwon (McMillan), then I’ll probably talk to High (inside linebackers coach Dont’a Hightower). But I like to know, just because whatever position we play, we’re going to have to be versatile anyways.”

One thing that should help Mapu is that he said the defense is largely unchanged with Mayo taking over for Bill Belichick and DeMarcus Covington

“So far it’s been pretty similar. But we’re not even in OTAs yet, so we’ll find out,” Mapu said.

Schooler was able to pick the brain of his brother, an ex-XFL linebacker, about the NFL’s new kickoff rule because it’s similar to what the XFL used. The new rule uses a shorter field, so Colin said it was like playing in a phone booth … With Slater and Davis retired and Board released, Schooler mentioned two young players who impressed him on special teams last season: safety Joshuah Bledsoe, a 2021 sixth-round pick, and linebacker Christian Elliss, who was claimed off waivers from the Eagles in December.