And so, they took the 6-foot-2, 202-pound Doctson, who last season recorded 1,326 yards and 14 touchdowns on 78 catches. At the combine, Doctson ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and recorded a 41-inch vertical leap.

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Doctson said the Redskins’ decision to draft him came as a total surprise. He had only had an informal interview with the team at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February.

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“I didn’t think they were interested in me at all, so that’s why I was saying it was so sudden and abrupt to be picked by the Redskins. But I’m excited and ready to get to work.”

Describing his game, Doctson said, “My game starts with the most dominant trait a receiver should have, and that’s catching the football. I want to make sure I catch the football in all situations that the quarterback throws it to me and make sure he trusts me to catch it. … I’m looking to build on it, learn from the other guys and build more strengths each day.”

This marks the highest Washington has drafted a wide receiver since 2008, when the team took Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly in the second round. Washington hadn’t spent a first-round pick on a wide receiver since taking Rod Gardner 15th overall in 2001.

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Washington entered the draft with the goal of bolstering their defensive line, and also had a desire to find a long-term answer at center. Those two needs ranked high on the team’s priority list, people with knowledge of the situation said.

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However, a wealth of defensive linemen in the draft gave the team the option of meeting another area of need, and the Redskins chose wide receiver.

“It’s about taking the best player on the board,” coach Jay Gruden said, “and josh was clearly the best player left on the board for us. … Scot’s been preaching that, and we went with the board.”

Doctson instantly becomes Washington’s tallest wide receiver. Pierre Garcon had been the tallest and stands 6 feet tall. But Gruden said there’s more to Doctson than his height.

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“It’s not just height. It’s a 41-inch vertical, and he makes quarterbacks right,” Gruden said. “He had a very good quarterback at TCU, and obviously, Kirk is very accurate as well, and he’ll get his opportunities in the red zone. But, he’ll have to earn his stripes. We have a very good receiving corps. … But adding a player of his height gives you a little different dimension. … I anticipate him challenging for a lot of balls.”

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Gruden went on to praise other elements of Doctson’s game.

“His big-play ability, I think he’s the most polished receiver of the [2016 draft]. I think he’s got the best hands of anybody. [Wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard] graded him out very, very high. Our scouts had him graded out very high. Scot loves him. … He’s just a solid, all-around football player with great body control, and you can’t coach that. His body can twist all different directions.”

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As Gruden said, Doctson will join a receiving unit led by two veterans in Garcon and DeSean Jackson. However, Garcon and DeSean Jackson both are entering the final year of their contracts, and both have hefty salary cap figures for the 2016 season. Garcon, who last season recorded 72 catches for 777 yards and six touchdowns (all second-most on the team behind tight end Jordan Reed), will count for $10.2 million against the cap, which is the third-highest on the roster. Meanwhile, Jackson, who had 30 catches for 528 yards and four touchdowns, has a cap figure of $9.25 million, fourth-highest on the team.

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Barring a trade, Washington doesn’t pick again until Friday night, when they hold the 53rd overall pick (22nd of the second round).

Defensive line, center, inside linebacker, backup quarterback and running back rank among their remaining needs.