Top 2005 Draft Picks

Will Crosby be the next NHL superstar? Will Bogut step up or flop out? Will Alex Smith get a chance to play? Kidzworld looks at the number one picks from the 2005 pro drafts.

Top NHL Pick - Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby had hockey scouts drooling with anticipation for more than a year before he was picked first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. The center from Nova Scotia scored over 300 points in his two years as a star with the Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Major Junior League and helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2005 World Junior Hockey Championships. Crosby is being hyped as the biggest NHL star since Mario Lemieux, who will also be his teammate with the Penguins. Don't expect Crosby to set any scoring records in his rookie year but he should be an NHL superstar for years to come.

Top NBA Pick - Andrew Bogut

Australia has long been the home of unique creatures like the kangaroo, platypus and koala bear. But until 2005, it had never been the home of a first overall NBA draft pick. That changed when the Milwaukee Bucks selected seven-foot Australian center, Andrew Bogut, with the first pick of the 2005 NBA Draft. Bogut, who averaged 20.4 points and 12.4 rebounds per game playing for the University of Utah also played b-ball for Australia at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Bogut is tall and athletic and should have no problems adjusting to the NBA - but he's no Shaq or Yao Ming. He'll be a solid NBA player but it's unlikely you'll ever see him playing in an All-Star game.

Top NFL Pick - Alex Smith

Quarterback Alex Smith was selected by the San Francisco 49ers, with the first pick of the 2005 NFL Draft. The 49ers believe Smith will be their quarterback of the future, after two outstanding seasons with the University of Utah. But despite being a top pick, Smith is likely to spend more time on the sidelines than on the playing field in 2005, after losing the starting QB job to Tim Rattay. Alex Smith's long term future still looks good (he signed a 60 million dollar contract before the season started), but don't expect to see him on any NFL highlight reels for at least a couple of years.

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