It’s the first workday after the big NFL draft weekend, and we’re feeling at a loss, but luckily there’s a lesser-known Kevin Costner movie streaming that we can watch to make the draft day magic last a little longer.
Kevin Costner’s “Draft Day”–which he recently recalled in the midst of the 2022 draft–is currently available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV. The film stars Costner as fictional Cleveland Browns manager Sonny Weaver Jr., who has to decide how to use the seventh overall pick to boost their team. Not only does he have the stress of the draft hanging over him, but also his work/life balance is way out of whack. His secret girlfriend Ali Parker, who is also the team’s salary cap analyst, just told him she’s pregnant. Plus, his father recently died, which puts a strain on his relationship with his mother. His father was the former Browns’ coach, but Sonny fired him when he refused to retire, on the behest of his mother.
The film is a lot of personal drama framing the politics and endless negotiations of the NFL draft. It’s an interesting concept, because I feel like many except diehard football fans don’t really know the sheer amount of work that goes into the draft. “Draft Day” had a great cast, but not only that, it had the full cooperation of the NFL. This allowed the film to use real logos and images associated with the league. The tradeoff, however, was that the film couldn’t make the league look bad in any way. No digging into the dirt, no revealing any corruption or backhandedness. “Draft Day” had to play by the rules, which ultimately handicapped it as a movie. “Draft Day” was just one film in a long line of stinkers for Kevin Costner in the 2000s. But, recently he found his comeback with everyone’s favorite ranching drama “Yellowstone.”
Underrated Kevin Costner Movie On Streaming Should Lift Your Spirits in the Wake of NFL Draft Weekend Ending
The drama comes when Sonny makes a deal with Seattle Seahawks manager Tom Michaels, played by Patrick St. Esprit, to trade the first overall draft pick for the Browns’ first-round draft picks for the next three seasons. The Browns have the opportunity to draft highly-regarded Wisconsin player Bo Callahan; while the pick excites fans, the team’s administration and players are split on the decision. Sonny knows he made the wrong play, but the team’s owner urged him to “make a splash,” so he did.
Ohio State player Vontae Mack, played by the late Chadwick Boseman, tweeted about the deal, as he was Sonny’s first pick and now would not be going to Cleveland. Mack tells Sonny to reconsider Callahan, urging him to watch old footage of Callahan playing against Mack. While Callahan has favor and attention on his side, Mack is clearly the better player.
Sonny ends up going back to the Seahawks manager and urging him to rescind on the deal. The Seahawks eventually choose Callahan with the sixth pick, and Sonny gets his first-round picks back plus punt returner David Putney for the team. Sonny drafts Ray Jennings from Florida State with his restored seventh-round pick. Everyone celebrates, and we get the satisfaction of now knowing how the NFL draft works.
