Forget about the NFL Draft. Let’s submit our top pick for draft headquarters.

We’d select the massive mansion in Malibu tricked out by the Los Angeles Rams in anticipation of the upcoming event. The team rocketed up our draft board, thanks to its over-the-top presentation.

Dubbed the “Rocket Mortgage Draft House,” this home away from its usual headquarters is a pretty sweet spot to fend off the tedium between picks and trades.

The team’s brains-trust can take a dip in the Pacific Ocean or jump in the welcoming pool—both just steps from the door. Even though the Rams head into the draft without a pick in the first round, they already look like a winner, thanks to this setup.

2020’s top pick

In pre-pandemic times, the annual selection of college players involved all the teams hunched over conference tables at their respective offices.

Last year, with COVID-19 raging, the annual festival of pomp wasn’t an option, so the draft took place from couches and home offices across the country.

That provided NFL fans a chance to peer into the living rooms of team executives.

One posh property set social media afire. The $4.5 million contemporary mansion belonging to the Arizona Cardinals‘ head coach, Kliff Kingsbury, inspired a ton of Twitter love.

War Room 2.0 pic.twitter.com/aCh3GYPVCG

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) April 24, 2020

The coach admitted that he had upped his house game, lighting the fire pit (in 100-degree heat), and adding multiple screens and phones in the room for effect.

“I just wanted to make it as extra as possible, and it turned out good,” he told NFL Network. “It made for fun. The NFL only allowed us to have one person at the house, or I might’ve had some people on the float swans in the back, or a DJ, really doing it big. There’s always next year, hopefully.”

It appears that the Rams took notes.

While the Cards coach showed off his baller Arizona abode, he wasn’t the only one to choose an eyebrow-raising spot. 

The New Orleans Saints also made an enviable site selection for their war room, as they decamped to a brewpub owned by the team’s owner, Gayle Benson, which was otherwise closed to the public.

This year, teams are allowed to have socially distant draft rooms. So Kingsbury and the Cardinals, along with most of the other 32 teams, will head to their respective teams’ HQ.

The NFL’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, who has been vaccinated, will be on site in Cleveland for the in-person draft. It’s been reported he’ll give out his trademark hugs to newly picked players.

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Watch: Arizona Cardinals’ DeAndre Hopkins Buys $5.1M Minimalist Mansion

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Rams step up their game

So the Rams are going it alone, and they’re doing it in style.

In part to help draw attention to the city that will host the Super Bowl in 2022, the Rams will be the only NFL team to make its selections away from team headquarters, according to a Rams press statement.

The team posted a video on its Twitter account showcasing the sweet setup.

The war room but make it Malibu 🌴

Introducing the @RocketMortgage Draft House! pic.twitter.com/wmL1VOVdIQ

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) April 19, 2021

The modern mansion had been transformed into a draft dream home, complete with a “draft room” sign, team memorabilia throughout, and throw pillows with the team’s logo artfully placed on the furniture. 

Even the team mascot, Rampage, joined in the fun poolside. By the way, the pool is temporarily branded with the Rocket Mortgage logo. 

Rams real estate

We did some digging, and the home the Rams are using as their draft HQ is on the market for $16.95 million. The parcel was purchased in 2013 for $3.1 million, and the owner developed the custom home in 2015 as an investment. The home initially went on the market for $15 million in 2016. 

Since then, the oceanfront abode has bounced on and off the market. In July 2019, it was offered as a monthly rental for $59,950, and then again in September, for $69,000.

Currently offered for sale, the home will get plenty of airtime as the backdrop during the draft. Perhaps a buyer will notice the home’s upside and take a chance.

With 10,532 square feet, the single-story residence is set above “one of Malibu’s best surf breaks,” according to the listing. The single-story layout features five bedrooms, a gym, and 7.5 bathrooms. The wide-open floor plan includes  a great room with a floor-to-ceiling marble fireplace. 

Pocket doors open to expand the living space outside. The gourmet island kitchen includes a second prep kitchen, and adjoins a family and media area with a pass-through bar.

In addition, a new owner can host an entire team in the formal dining room and choose a fine vintage from the wine room.

If a nap is needed, head to the sunny owner’s suite with a fireplace, corner pocket doors, marble bathroom and tub, and vast closet. In addition, the home has a second en suite bedroom, a home theater with a 135-foot-screen, and an office.

The resort-style grounds boast 111 feet of bluff frontage, manicured grounds, plus a zero-edge infinity pool and spa. Outdoor lounge space includes a gazebo and covered patio, both with TVs and fireplaces.

There is also plenty of parking, with a grass-lined concrete driveway and uncovered parking space for 10 or more cars, as well as a three-car garage.

Chris Cortazzo with Compass holds the listing.

The post Doing the NFL Draft in Style! Peek Inside the $17M Malibu Mansion Rented by the L.A. Rams appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.