ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins needed two crucial plays last season to sweep the Philadelphia Eagles. The first: a game-turning 80-yard touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson. The second: a fourth-and-1 pass to Pierre Garcon with a defender draped all over him.

Both plays summed up their talent and what the Redskins no longer have: A receiver who can change games on one play and another who consistently makes tough catches. Now they’re gone.

“It changes a lot,” Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins said. “It’s hard to really replace those kind of players. Pierre Garcon was such a reliable receiver and you talk about DeSean Jackson and what he brings to an offense, his ability to score in any point in time and blow the top off of a defense.”

But.

“They did replace that with Terrelle Pryor,” Jenkins said, “who I think is one of the rising stars in the league -- his ability to stretch the field, catch the ball. He’s a big-body receiver and he’ll get a lot of production. A lot of that focus will get pushed to [Jamison] Crowder in the slot as well as Jordan Reed. Those are guys that Kirk Cousins relies on -- or will go to -- in those clutch situations when he needs a play just because they’ve been reliable. They’ve been playmakers in the past, so I think they’ll become a bigger piece of that offense.”

The name he didn’t mention: Josh Doctson. He could be the one to watch this season – if he stays healthy, of course.

Josh Doctson could become the Redskins' best receiver if he remains healthy and progresses. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

As the Redskins enter the season opener vs. Philadelphia, their receiving corps is different in terms of personnel and the pecking order. There is talent and there is mystery.

Here’s a look at the main targets:

Josh Doctson: Ask people in the Redskins’ organization about him and they’ll tell you he’s their best receiver – or should be. He’s been running routes for a long time as opposed to Pryor, who just started doing it two years ago. No player generates more, “Did you see the catch he made today” from coaches or teammates than Doctson. There’s a reason he was the only receiver they’d have drafted in the first round a year ago. He tracks the ball exceptionally well, a skill that could help Sunday.

His troubles arise when he can’t practice. In the third preseason game vs. Cincinnati, after little work that week, he struggled with his release off the line on a deep fade. He allowed himself to get ridden too close to the sidelines, leading to little room for Cousins to connect. Those are the sort of issues he can work out in practice with time, though getting away from pressure at the line has been a question. Still, he’s practiced all week and will be facing a team that in the past ran a lot of man coverage. It could be a good mix.

“The jury is still out … but [Doctson] is a very natural route runner, very friendly quarterback target,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “He runs and gets in and out of his breaks smooth. He gets his head around. He’s at the right depth. He understands the route tree very well. He knows how to run everything. There’s not a route that he can’t run. We’ll see how it goes, but I feel very good about where he is as far as mentally and his approach to running routes at receiver.”

Ryan Grant: He’ll rotate in more than in the past, and it won’t just always be to block. Last season, when Grant was on the field the Redskins ran the ball 53 percent of the time, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Compare that to Jackson (27.9 percent runs) and Garcon (31.8 percent). A big key will be how much Cousins trusts Grant during a game. Teammates consider him the hardest worker among the wideouts, a testament to him and not a knock on the others. You might have heard he runs good routes.

Terrelle Pryor: During camp, Pryor stood out and showed how he could not only use his size, but his speed. He’d create extra separation on comebacks or when he’d run a deep dig, only to cut back outside. But in the preseason it was evident that he and Cousins needed more work at game speed together. Pryor is big and smart. He should be productive, but the Redskins and Cousins are still getting used to what routes he runs best in a game and what is his go-to play. In the preseason, he didn’t go deep often (if at all). That will change during the season, which should open up other routes.

Jamison Crowder: Crowder caught a combined 126 passes the last two years. Don’t be surprised if Cousins relies on him a little more early this season. Crowder’s quickness works well vs. man coverage, something the Eagles like to play. In two years, he’s caught 14 passes for 167 yards vs. Philadelphia – though only five for 89 yards last season. The Redskins like getting the ball to him in different spots, allowing him use his speed in the open field. He’ll play a lot more in two-receiver sets than a year ago and that should increase his targets and productivity. Also, so should the fact that Pryor is new and that Doctson is a mystery.