Cowboys Draft Picks 2014: Terrance Mitchell (CB) Selected At #254 (Seventh Round)

With pick #254 (overall), the 39th pick in the seventh round, the Dallas Cowboys select cornerback Terrance Mitchell from Oregon.

Rob Rang on Mitchell:

STRENGTHS: Sports a lean, athletic frame with long arms and a gambling mentality that can result in big plays. Fluid hips to change directions and shows good acceleration out of his turns to run with receivers across the middle or downfield. Alert defender who reads the quarterback and receiver, responding well when the ball is in the air. Very confident in his ability to close. Will bait quarterbacks, allowing room to receivers and breaking downhill hard to close in a flash. Competes for the football, showing good timing to leap, as well as the hand-eye coordination to battle bigger receivers. Showed significant improvement as an interceptor in 2013, snaring five passes after just two combined over his previous two starting seasons.

Generally reliable open-field tackler, who is cognizant in run support.

WEAKNESSES: A bit high and choppy in his backpedal. Does not appear to possess preferred top-end speed, showing more initial burst and quickness than sustained acceleration. Got away with a lot of hand-play throughout college, frequently extending his arm to cut off receivers as they turn and arriving just before the ball.

Gets his hands on a lot of passes but struggled to turn those opportunities into interceptions throughout most of his career; only seven of 32 career passes defended were picked off.

Not particularly physical in run support. Will make the tackle when necessary but doesn't seem to enjoy the physicality of the game, often dancing around the action rather than getting involved.

COMPARES TO: Greg Toler, Indianapolis Colts - Mitchell is a good athlete whose big plays helped him earn a solid reputation but whose inconsistencies could keep him off the board heading into Day Three. Without more subtlety in coverage, Mitchell could find earning and keeping a starting job in the NFL is much more difficult than at the collegiate level.

Cowboys 2014 draft picks

Round 1: Pick 16 (16 overall) --- Zack Martin (OT/OG Notre Dame)
Round 2: Pick 15 (47 overall) --- Demarcus Lawrence (DE Boise St.)
Round 3: Pick 14 (78 overall)Traded
Round 4: Pick 19 (119 overall) --- Anthony Hitchens (OLB Iowa)
Round 5: Pick 6 (146 overall) --- Devin Street (WR Pittsburgh)
Round 7: Pick 14 (229 overall) (from Bears)Traded
Round 7: Pick 16 (231 overall) --- Ben Gardner (DE Stanford)
Round 7: Pick 23 (238 overall) (from Chiefs) --- Will Smith (LB Texas Tech)
Round 7: Pick 33 (248 overall) (compensatory selection) --- Ahmad Dixon (S Baylor)
Round 7: Pick 36 (251 overall) (compensatory selection) --- Ken Bishop (DT Northern Illinois)
Round 7: Pick 39 (254 overall) (compensatory selection) --- Terrance Mitchell (CB Oregon)

Cowboys team needs

Defensive Tackle: With Jason Hatcher gone and Nick Hayden just a serviceable player, the Cowboys interior is weak. Henry Melton has been signed but is coming off an ACL injury. A couple of guys on the roster could help, but Dallas needs a stud. [UPDATE] Cowboys pick Ken Bishop.

Defensive End: Long time pass rusher DeMarcus Ware is no longer a Cowboy. That immediately leaves a huge hole. Anthony Spencer is trying to recover from injury. The rest are unproven. Help is needed. [UPDATE] The addition of Demarcus Lawrence makes defensive end help less of a priority.

Safety: Barry Church can play, everyone else is questionable. J.J. Wilcox, Jeff Heath, Matt Johnson? None of them are a lock. [UPDATE] Cowboys pick up Ahmad Dixon.

Guard/Tackle: Mackenzy Bernadeau is a stop-gap. Ron Leary showed some promise, but needs to improve and has a chronic knee injury. Doug Free could regress at any moment. [UPDATE] With the selection of Zack Martin, the Cowboys need for offensive line help is greatly reduced.

Wide Receiver: Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams form a good duo, but behind them is slot receiver Cole Beasley. The Cowboys could use another guy. [UPDATE] The Cowboys drafted Devin Street to solve this need.