Ranking the top picks

Risky business, comparing No. 1 overall picks in different sports. In the NBA and NFL, the top selections are expected to make fairly quick impacts, while major league baseball, with its farm system, offers ample time to grow.

The NHL? There's less lag time than in baseball, but the top selections still aren't counted on to be stars right away ... well, except for that Crosby kid we're hearing so much about lately.

Here's a look at the top pick in each of the major team sports in the last five years. We're graded them in terms of impact, and tried to make allowances for baseball's longer growth period.

DWIGHT HOWARD, F, Magic Howard was a riskier pick than Emeka Okafor (who the Magic passed on) but the early signs are encouraging. The prep star from Atlanta averaged 12 points and 10 rebounds while finishing third in balloting for NBA Rookie of the Year. And don't underestimate the fact he played all 82 games -- the only player in NBA history to do that in his first year out of high school. GRADE: B

ELI MANNING, QB, Giants He opened the season backing up Kurt Warner, then moved into the starting role for the final seven games. "It wasn't pretty at times," Manning said. But he did show some positive flashes, including the season finale when he tossed three TD passes in a win over the Cowboys. He's added muscle this year to better withstand the punishment he takes in the pocket. GRADE: C

MATT BUSH, SS, Padres Bush, certainly not the consensus No. 1, is having his troubles with the glove this season. He has committed 33 errors in 95 games for Class A Fort Wayne and he's not exactly making up for it with his bat -- just a .229 average with two homers and 28 RBIs. But the Padres, who shelled out $3.1 million for the hometown star, aren't panicking. At least not publicly. GRADE: D

ALEXANDER OVECHKIN, F, Capitals A physical forward with Russian hockey skills is not all that common in hockey, which made him the marquee pick on draft day. Now that the NHL is back in business, Ovechkin is eager to play for the Caps -- he exercised his option to escape his contract with the Russian Super League team Avangard Omsk. GRADE: Incomplete

LeBRON JAMES, F, Cavs Superstar? Check. The next Jordan? Well, maybe. LeBron has lived up to the incredibly huge hype that surrounded his jump from high school to the pros. He was the league's third-leading scorer last season (27.2 points per game) and still doesn't turn 21 until December. Next goal: Playoffs. GRADE: A-plus

DELMON YOUNG, SS, Devil Rays This youngster's making a quick move toward the majors. He opened the season at Double-A Montgomery, hitting .336 with 20 homers and 71 RBIs in 84 games. In mid-July, he was called up to Triple-A Durham. At 19, he's the youngest player in the International League. A superstar-in-waiting? Looks that way. One newspaper report called him baseball's answer to LeBron James. GRADE: A

CARSON PALMER, QB, Bengals He eased into the NFL, never taking a snap in his rookie season. Last year, he took over as starter and experienced typical growing pains early. But then he flipped the switch at mid-season. His QB rating for the final six games was 96.9 (compared to 62.6 for the first seven games), with the Bengals winning four of their last six. GRADE: C