Your typical sports movies either include an aging superstar looking for redemption, a true team of underdogs taking down a juggernaut or other cliches about overcoming the odds.

But “Draft Day” is not your typical sports movie.

Starring Kevin Costner as Sonny Weaver Jr., the much-maligned general manager of the Cleveland Browns, “Draft Day” tackles the process of building a championship team months before players even take the field.

The film begins with Weaver contemplating what to do with the Browns’ first-round draft pick, which is slotted seventh out of the NFL’s 32 teams. Weaver, whose job is on the line, is pressured by Browns owner Anthony Molina (Frank Lengella) to make a big move in order to get the oft-disappointed Browns fans excited for the upcoming season.

Under duress, Weaver trades his seventh overall pick, and two first-round picks in future drafts, to get the first overall pick in the current draft. The move is made seemingly in attempt to draft quarterback Bo Callahan (Josh Pence), a blue-chip prospect who countless scouts have proclaimed as a future Hall of Famer.

For the rest of “Draft Day,” Costner must balance pressures from the fans, Molina, Coach Penn (Denis Leary) and his family, while trying to do what he thinks is best for the team.

“Draft Day” was fun to watch for sports junkies who follow mock drafts every spring, but translated to the casual football fan just as well.

Director Ivan Reitman did a nice job of showing all of the politicking and strategizing that comes into making trades on the day of the draft. It made clear that countless hours go into evaluating each and every player who wants to enter the NFL.

Though this aspect made the film more realistic, scenes of Costner playing shrewd negotiator with other general managers got repetitive quickly. Weaver’s continued prodding of general managers provided little opportunity for much visual creativity, as most camera shots were of guys in suits talking about football.

There could have been more emphasis on scouting and game tape to make the visuals more interesting, if nothing else.

The continuous hardball discussions sometimes slowed the plot, which included several players’ interests in the team and Weaver’s discovery that co-worker and girlfriend Ali (Jennifer Garner) is pregnant. There was potential for in-house drama that was left on the table.

Costner’s intensity fit the stereotypical profile of an executive in the NFL, so it worked well for much of the film. However, in moments of personal conflicts with his mother and Ali, he was much too cynical and even harsh.

Furthermore, though Garner played her role with confidence, there was little chemistry between her and Costner. It was hard to believe the two even liked each other, much less had a committed relationship.

Though much of the rest of the cast was mostly sidelined, the strongest performance came from Chadwick Boseman, who played linebacker Vontae Mack. Mack, another potential superstar, exhibited a flashy exterior, but showed depth and inner intelligence, making him an easy character to root for.

“Draft Day” recruited many celebrities and NFL personalities for cameos in the film, including Chris Berman, Mel Kiper and even NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. It was also fun to see Arian Foster, real-life superstar running back, playing an NFL hopeful, and to watch Sean “P. Diddy” Combs play Bo Callahan’s arrogant agent.

These elements added authenticity to the story, but weren’t relied on as a crutch, allowing Reitman to create his own situations.

One interesting hypothetical about “Draft Day” is what it could have been had the production team not sought NFL approval. Had the film fictionalized leagues and teams, it could have had more freedom to shed light on some of the darker elements of professional football.

“Draft Day” is a great watch for football die-hards, and satisfactory enough for causal fans. But with only decent performances and a pretty vanilla storyline, it certainly left something on the field.

Published on April 16, 2014 at 1:00 am