There are three main factors that could lead to the Tennessee Titans selecting a receiver when they are on the clock in a couple of weeks in the 2019 NFL Draft’s first round.

Unlike in years past, it has been difficult this year to pinpoint exactly which direction the Titans will go with their first-round pick. There are a number of positions that would make sense.

Over the past week, I have written a few articles like this one on the positions of need that the Titans very well could use their first round pick on.

Please note that I am not advocating for the Titans taking a receiver, but rather exploring the reasons why such a decision might make sense.

Here are three of those reasons.

One final note: A major part of my pre-draft process and, in turn, this articleis SportsInfo Solutions’ “The SIS Football Rookie Handbook.” You can (and should) order a copy here.

1. It would help Mariota.

The Titans have made it very clear this offseason that they are committed to giving quarterback Marcus Mariota evert opportunity to succeed in 2019. That seemed to be the reason behind most of their free agent acquisitions.

Guard Rodger Saffold will provide enhanced protection for Mariota. Receiver Adam Humphries will give Mariota a reliable target in the passing game.

Mariota will also have a high-quality backup for the first time in his career. If he has to miss any games, a proposition that seems likely based on his career to this point, the offense will be in good hands with veteran Ryan Tannehill.

Literally, there figures to be much less pressure on Mariota in 2019. Literally, he has all the pressure in the world. He is entering a contract year, and it is pretty clear that the Titans are not completely sold on him as their quarterback of the future.

If the Titans wanted to go all out on putting Mariota in a position to succeed next season and continue to eliminate all imaginable excuses, drafting a receiver could really help that effort.

Whether it be a physical freak like D.K. Metcalf of Ole Miss, a speed threat like Oklahoma's Marquise Brown, or a technician like South Carolina's Deebo Samuel, adding another receiver to the fold to help Mariota certainly would not be a bad idea.

Mariota not being able to succeed with two first-round receivers (Corey Davis being the other), Humphries and Delanie Walker would give the Titans the answer the currently need.

2. They'd get their pick of the litter.

This year's class of receiver prospects is an intriguing one, primarily because there isn't a clear-cut guy at the top, or really clear cut guys, for that matter.

The aforementioned Metcalf, Brown, and Samuel are joined in this class by A.J. Brown of Ole Miss, a high-quality and sizeable slot threat; N'Keal Harry of Arizona State, a traditional possession receiver; Kelvin Harmon, a more balanced receiver; and many other talented pass catchers.

There are also a pair of really good tight end prospects from Iowa in this year's class: T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant, both of whom have a good shot to be first-round picks. Hockenson is a more traditional do-it-all inline tight end, and Fant is more of a matchup threat due to his outstanding athleticism and size.

While many draft analysts disagree on which receiver is the best choice, the Titans certainly have one of these guys above the rest on their board. By waiting until the second round to pick a receiver, they would risk losing a chance to select whoever that player is.

It might be a "reach" for the Titans to select some of the guys on that list, but it could make sense if they wound up with a player that they've fallen in love with.

3. They need more production.

Outside of Corey Davis last season, the Titans did not have a single pass catcher who consistently produced. The team relied on a handful of young and inexperienced receivers in 2018, and it frequently showed.

At wide receiver, Tajaé Sharpe frequently struggled to separate, Taywan Taylor was incredibly inconsistent, Darius Jennings contributed very little outside of his efforts on special teams, and Cameron Batson was really only effective on screen passes.

At tight end, Jonnu Smith took way too long to get going following Delanie Walker's season-ending injury, and Anthony Firkser just isn't the type of guy that you can build an offense around.

The addition of Adam Humphries in free agency will certainly help things, but the Titans still need to add a receiver at some point before the start of next season.

By rolling out either Sharpe or Taylor as the #3 option in 2019, the Titans would be pushing their chips to the center of the table in the hopes of one of those guys miraculously breaking out.

While possible, that seems highly unlikely.

The Titans would probably do well to move on from Sharpe and Taylor as starters and draft another player that they hope can take the reigns.

Cover image: Mark Zerof/USA Today