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Cooper Flagg made his professional debut Thursday in a Summer League game against the Los Angeles Lakers held at the Thomas and Mack Center. And Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty was on hand to help out.
Jeanty performed a ceremonial tip-off prior to the matchup between the Mavericks and the Lakers, per ESPN’s Arash Markazi.
The Raiders rookie received a warm welcome from the Las Vegas crowd while standing at center court. He then tossed a jump ball and headed back to his seat. The ceremonial tip-off is similar to throwing out the first pitch in baseball and Jeanty appeared happy to take part in the pregame ritual.
The Raiders selected Jeanty sixth overall in the 2025 draft. The former Boise State standout was considered the best running back in the class. Omarion Hampton, taken 22nd overall by the Los Angeles Chargers, was the only other rusher drafted in the first round.
Jeanty has already earned head coach Pete Carroll’s praise and a promising 1,000-yard projection from ESPN for his debut season. The team is hoping for a big offensive boost in 2025. In addition to drafting Jeanty and hiring Carroll, the Raiders added Geno Smith in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks over the offseason.
While many analysts anticipate Jeanty winning Offensive Rookie of the Year, ESPN’s Seth Walder recently criticized the Raiders’ draft pick. He argues that first-round running backs offer poor value and would have preferred to see Las Vegas focus on a premium position in the draft.
Still, Jeanty was a spectacular college player. He racked up 2,739 total yards and 30 touchdowns in his junior season with Boise State last year. The Raiders want to win now with their new head coach/quarterback combo and the rookie rusher could help the team reach the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Despite lofty expectations entering the season, Jeanty may not be a workhorse for Las Vegas. The team also added veteran back Raheem Mostert on a one-year deal to back up the young RB. The duo will be tasked with improving a Raiders running attack that finished dead last in the NFL in 2024, averaging just 79.8 yards per game.
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