The NFL draft is creeping closer, now less than two weeks away.

The Patriots have been prepping and doing their homework largely via video conferences and film, as the league moves forward in uncharted waters due to the global pandemic.

Armed with a major haul, the Pats are weighing how to best utilize a dozen picks.

Broken down, they have a first-round pick, four third-round picks, a fourth-round pick, three sixth-round picks, and three seventh-round picks.

At this point, who knows if they'll keep all of the picks. They could move out of the first round, land more picks and play with the overall number. But the hope, of course, is coming away with as many significant contributors as possible in the 2020 NFL draft.

Along those lines, Bill Belichick has had good drafts, as well as some unproductive ones in the mix during his two-decade run at the helm. Whether the drafts were successful or not, he's managed to come away with some great value picks. A few of those selections easily come to mind. Others, not so much.

With that in mind, here's my top 10 list for the shrewdest draft picks during Belichick's run. This is not an evaluation of the 10 best or brightest stars. It's the 10 who have provided the biggest bang given where they were chosen.

1. Tom Brady

(6th round, 2000)

He just might be the poster boy for all-time best draft pick in NFL history. It's crazy to think you could land a starting quarterback in that round, much less the greatest quarterback of all time and an eventual six-time Super Bowl winner. It's also insane to think a quarterback taken in the sixth round would still be playing 20 years later.

But Brady is, and still looking very much like he can play a few more. Only it will be with the Buccaneers, instead of the Patriots.

Maybe it was complete luck, maybe it was pure drafting savvy by the Pats. Whatever the case, he's been a four-time Super Bowl MVP, and three-time NFL MVP. He's posted 59 comeback wins, including five in the Super Bowl. There's no denying the value. An absolute steal in the sixth round.

2. Julian Edelman

(7th round, 2009)

He was a college quarterback at Kent State. The Pats had other ideas, converting him to receiver. They loved him as a tough, hard-nosed football player, but felt they could better utilize his lightning-quick moves (great three-cone drill time) in a different position. They were right.

Edelman was Brady's primary go-to-guy and chain-mover the past decade. Just in the postseason alone, he's been one of the most productive receivers in history, ranking second overall (behind Jerry Rice) in both postseason receiving yards and receptions.

He was MVP of Super Bowl LIII, with 10 catches for 141 yards. He's also had a pair of 100-catch seasons, along with three 1,000-yard campaigns. With no Brady, he'd get the nod at the top.

3. Rob Gronkowski

(2nd round, 2010)

While the Pats definitely had their eyes on Gronkowski during the 2010 draft, they were still taking a flier on him given his history of back trouble and surgery during his junior year in college. He was off a lot of people's draft boards given the uncertainty with his back, although they did make a move to make sure they beat the Ravens to the punch in the second round. Needless to say, the gamble paid off for the Patriots.

They essentially grabbed a future Hall of Fame tight end, and arguably the best to have played the position. He gave the Pats nine injury-plagued seasons, but was a force when he was in the lineup. He retired as the team's all-time leader in touchdowns. Recently, he was selected to the NFL 2010's All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

4. Richard Seymour

(1st round, 2001)

How is the No. 6 overall pick even considered a "value" pick? Because historically, Top 10 picks in the draft haven't necessarily panned out in terms of greatness and getting bang for the buck, so to speak. Seymour has been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, most recently a finalist. Maybe you get one or two players in the first round who go on to have those type of credentials.

Seymour, the highest pick during the Belichick regime, certainly held up his end of the bargain. During his eight seasons with the Pats, he was a force, considered one of the defensive linemen in the NFL. He was part of three championships, and five Pro Bowls with the Patriots.

5. Matt Light

(2nd round, 2001)

The fact he was a ten-year starter makes the case for the second-round pick out of Purdue. He did yeoman work protecting Brady's blind side. He was a three-time Pro Bowl player, an All-Pro and three-time Super Bowl champion. And, he's already gained entry into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Here's line coach Dante Scarnecchia, talking about Light during The Hall's Speaker Series.

"Light, he thinks he's a comedian, but thank God we drafted Matt, and I mean that sincerely," Scarnecchia said. "The very first thing Matt Light said to me after we drafted him in the second round, he says, 'I got narcolepsy.' I pleaded ignorance. So he said, 'I fall asleep all the time. I fall asleep in meetings.' I said, 'I don't think you're going to fall asleep in my meetings.'

"So he always sat right in front of me. I could always tell when he was getting a little narcoleptic."

6. Dan Koppen

(5th round, 2003)

Having an undrafted player at starting center in front of Brady is certainly remarkable. That distinction belongs to David Andrews. But arriving as a fifth-rounder out of Boston College, as Koppen did, and also being Brady's front man for a pair of championships, speaks volumes. He basically took over the center position his rookie year, filling in for injured Pro Bowl center Damien Woody, and never looked back. He was with the Pats for nine seasons.

Koppen made the Pro Bowl in 2007 and was a second-team All-Pro the same year. He was also named to the Patriots' 2000s All-Decade team in 2010.

7. James White

(4th round, 2014)

Patriots have had quite a few top-notch third-down backs — Kevin Faulk, Danny Woodhead and Shane Vereen. White is the latest, and belongs at or near the top of the list. He's been an invaluable asset to Brady and the offense the past six seasons.

Perhaps no performance better illustrates his worth than Super Bowl LI against the Falcons. White scored the winning touchdown to complete a miracle comeback with a second-effort run in overtime. Before that, he helped trigger the improbable outcome with a then Super Bowl-record 14 receptions and 20 points scored. He also had a 15-catch game in the AFC divisional round against the Chargers.

8. Stephen Gostkowski

(4th round, 2006)

Not bad when you can replace legend Adam Vinatieri with a kicker who went on to become the franchise's all-time leading scorer (1,775 points). Gostkowski provided 14 seasons of dependability, which is tough to top at his position, and why he's on the list. But let's allow Bill Belichick to explain why Gostkowski is one of his best value picks.

"Stephen had many highlights over his 14 years as a Patriot, and one of the most impressive was the way it began, when he succeeded the most accomplished kicker in NFL history," Belichick said, upon releasing the kicker last month. "For some, this may have been too difficult a challenge. But from his rookie year, Stephen exuded a maturity and confidence that demonstrated he was up to the task. He made several crucial kicks his rookie year and established a top level of performance and consistency for years and years to come."

9. Matthew Slater

(5th round, 2008)

The late-round pick turned into an eight-time Pro Bowl player on special teams during his 13 seasons with the Pats. While there are some who minimize the value of special teams players, given their lack of frequency on the field, Belichick touts the significance of specialists.

Slater is one of the best gunners to have played the game. He deserves Hall of Fame consideration when he retires. He's been a difference-maker both on the field, and in the locker room. A three-time Super Bowl champion, he is and has been one of Belichick's most respected leaders.

10. Marcus Cannon

(5th round, 2011)

Like Gronk, Cannon was a gamble, even as a sixth-round pick. The TCU offensive lineman was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma a short time before the draft. He was considered one of the top tackle prospects, but the illness made him a question mark.

That gamble paid off. After treatment that year, Cannon has remained healthy, and relatively durable as the team's starting right tackle. He's a three-time Super Bowl champ, making second team All-Pro in 2016.

Honorable Mention: Asante Samuel (4th round, 2003), Trey Flowers (4th round, 2015), Shaq Mason, (4th round, 2015), David Givens (7th round, 2002), Ted Karras (6th round, 2016), Matt Cassel (7th round, 2005).