Tom Brady, left, stretches during rookie mini camp in Foxboro in April, 2000, when he was just another late-round draft pick trying to make the team.

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach

According to a story posted on the Forbes magazine web site last week, the New England Patriots are the team with the worst draft record in the NFL over the last three years, as only 50 percent of the players they’ve selected in that time are still with the team.

The methodology may have been flawed – for one, the Patriots are a veteran-laden team that doesn’t have the room for a lot of young players every season like the Texans, the club with the best record according to the article. New England also retains a higher percentage of undrafted players than other teams.

But the Pats have certainly had their share of hits and misses, as every team does.

Here’s a look at the top 10 draft picks of the Bill Belichick era; tomorrow we’ll look at the 10 worst.

1. Tom Brady (sixth round, 199th overall, 2000): Few things are as non-debatable. With a solid season this year, Brady will become New England’s all-time leader in passing yards; he is already tops in touchdowns, completion percentage, and quarterback rating. The skinny, cocksure Michigan product wasn’t kidding when he told team owner Robert Kraft that he was “the best decision this organization has ever made” just weeks after he’d been selected in the draft.

2. Richard Seymour (first round, 6th overall, 2001): Though he was famously derided by the media for choosing Seymour and not wideouts David Terrell or Koren Robinson, Belichick knew what he was doing when he chose Seymour. He got the cornerstone of his defensive line, a five-time Pro Bowler who was back to causing problems for opposing offensive lines last year after being slowed by injuries the previous two seasons, recording a team-high eight sacks.

3. Vince Wilfork (first round, 21st overall, 2004): The squat defensive tackle from Miami had never played in a defensive system like New England’s before, and his rookie season wasn’t always an easy one, as he learned how to control the line rather than try to burst through it. But Wilfork has become arguably the best nose tackle in the NFL, with one Pro Bowl nod to his credit thus far.

4. Asante Samuel (fourth round, 120th overall, 2003): This turned out to be a particularly strong draft class for the Pats, as you’ll see. While his time here may not have ended well (at least not to fans of the team), New England wanted Samuel enough to trade up a few spots to get him, and through hard work he became one of the top corners in the league. He shined brightest when the lights were their hottest, with seven postseason interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns.

5. Ty Warren (first round, 13th overall, 2003): The second block in the building of what is now a dominant defensive line, the Patriots were afraid to lose out on the big Texas A&M end and swapped spots with Chicago in order to acquire him. Warren has played in Seymour’s large shadow, but his play should have earned him at least one Pro Bowl nod by now.

6. Logan Mankins (first round, 32nd overall, 2005): Draft prognosticators didn’t think the Fresno State standout was first-round material, but Belichick disagreed. Mankins has done nothing to show that Belichick was wrong and everything to show that his reputation for being tough and nasty were well-earned. Mankins slid inside to left guard, but has started from Day One and every game since then, 72 and counting, with one trip to Hawaii under his belt.

7. Jerod Mayo (first round, 10th overall, 2008): Yes, Mayo has only one season under his belt, but what a season it was: the league’s defensive rookie of the year led the Pats with 139 tackles, including 23 in New England’s overtime loss to the Jets in November. Conventional wisdom was that the Patriots didn’t draft linebackers too high because their system was too tough for a youngster to grasp, but Mayo turned that idea on its head.

8. Deion Branch (second round, 65th overall, 2002): Maybe all you need to know about how beloved Branch was by his teammates: Seymour had tears in his eyes as he discussed the Patriots’ trade of the receiver to Seattle before the 2006 season, and company man Brady nearly said something disparaging about the organization. The MVP of Super Bowl XXXIX, Branch quickly became Brady’s favorite target, but his desire to a re-done contract led to him being traded. The first-round pick New England received in exchange became Brandon Meriweather.

9. Matt Light (second round, 48th overall, 2001): Another player New England moved up a couple of spots to ensure getting, Light has become an All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler protecting Brady’s blind side.

10. Dan Koppen (fifth round, 164th overall, 2003): Another standout pick from the ’03 draft class, Koppen started at center in the second game of his career and has only missed time since due to injury (in 2005). Despite just one Pro Bowl nod, the former Boston College standout is one of the best at his position.

Honorable mention: S Meriweather (first round, 24th overall, 2007); K Stephen Gostkowski (fourth round, 118th overall, 2006); DL Jarvis Green (fourth round, 126th overall, 2002).

smanza@projo.com