For some football fans (of which I would include myself), the fun of the NFL season doesn’t stop when the Super Bowl ends. Instead we immediately put on our fake general managers’ hats on and attempt to figure out what players our favorite team can add to get better next season through free agency and, primarily, the NFL Draft. So for my fellow NFL Draft-obsessed fans, the perfect movie that will give you some idea of what the job is like is now streaming on Netflix — Draft Day.
The 2014 Kevin Costner movie is a different kind of sports movie. Instead of following a team as they strive to make the big game through their play on the field, Draft Day takes place the day of the NFL Draft, where Costner’s Cleveland Browns GM Sonny Weaver is tasked with making the first pick in the draft that could not only decide the success or failure of the team, but his future with it. In addition to Costner the movie stars Jennifer Garner, Frank Langella, Denis Leary, Timothy Simmons, Wade Williams, Josh Pence, Terry Crews, Ellen Burstyn and Chadwick Boseman. There are also real NFL analysts playing themselves in the movie, including Chris Berman, Mel Kiper and Deion Sanders.
While Draft Day wasn’t widely praised when it was released — the movie has a 60% “Fresh” Rotten Tomatoes score from critics and 65% positive from audiences — it has garnered more of a fanbase since then as NFL diehards enjoy watching it, particularly the actual draft night sequences where we see the elaborate maneuvering Costner’s Weaver does to get the players he wants.
The timing of Draft Day coming to Netflix couldn’t be better, as the 2025 NFL Draft takes place from April 24-26. In a fun bit of overlap, the real life Cleveland Browns are actually in a similar position as the movie’s version, as they are widely predicted to either take a quarterback with their second overall selection or a highly touted position play, a debate much like Sonny Weaver has.
This may also be the best look behind the scenes of an NFL team’s offseason that we get this year. Last year, HBO’s debuted Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants, a new version of their long-running franchise that focused on the offseason of the Giants, including free agency and the draft. Unfortunately for the Giants, the biggest thing people took away from the series was a moment when owner John Mara told his GM, Joe Schoen, that he would “have trouble sleeping” if long-time Giants running back Saquon Barkley left their team to go to their division rival Philadelphia Eagles in free agency. Of course that is exactly what happened.
Schoen received a fair amount of ridicule for what was shown, which has led to some speculation that there may not be a second season of Hard Knocks: Offseason, as nothing has been announced to date. Though in fairness, HBO didn’t announce the initial season last year until June.
Whether or not we get more Hard Knocks, Draft Day is a great option for antsy football fans that want to feel some excitement around their favorite sport again. Take it from me, someone who is not even a Cleveland Browns fan, the movie does the job.
Draft Day is now streaming on Netflix in the US; subscription required. It is also streaming on Peacock in the US; again, subscription required.
Watch the Draft Day trailer right here:
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