On a rainy afternoon Wednesday in Florham Park, N.J., Mark Sanchez and the first-team offense struggled in the passing game. That's to be expected, considering the caliber of talent on the sideline -- WRs Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and Jerricho Cotchery, RB LaDainian Tomlinson, RG Brandon Moore and RT Wayne Hunter.

It was patchwork city, and it showed. Of course, it's typical for the offense to start slowly because so much is based on timing -- and that's with a normal offseason. This was anything but normal, so you can expect hiccups.

There were some positives, though. Some observations:

• Rookie WR Jeremy Kerley made the catch of the day, a toe-tapping grab along the sideline on a pass from Sanchez. Sanchez rolled right and found Kerley on a quick out. The fifth-round pick from TCU made a nice adjustment, managing to get both feet inbounds. Kerley (5-9, 188) is quicker than an IM, with potential as a slot receiver.

• A couple of undrafted rookie WRs, Michael Campbell (Temple) and Dan DePalma (West Chester, Pa.), flashed a couple of times each. Dan DePalma is a local kid out of Verona, N.J. This isn't his first exposure to NFL players. In May, he worked out with Eli Manning and a handful of Giants during lockout practices at Hoboken High School. DePalma got the invite from Giants TE Kevin Boss, whom he met at a local gym.

• RB/KR Joe McKnight looks like a different player this season, which is to say he's not vomiting anymore -- an infamous minicamp moment, one of the lowlights of his rookie year. But, seriously ... McKnight is explosive in the open field, showing all the skills of a third-down back. He should be able to contribute in some capacity on offense.

• The Jets used a first-round pick on DE Muhammad Wilkerson, in part, because of his versatility. He showed it Wednesday. Aside from lining up as the starting right end, he also slid inside and played over the center at times. If he can handle it mentally, Wilkerson is going to get an opportunity to move around the line and do different things.

• Best photo op of the day: When it started raining during practice, Holmes left the field and found shelter under a massive, 100-year-old tree. He leaned against the tree, watching practice while referring to a script of plays on a sheet of paper. A few feet away, several photographers were shooting away. Holmes went about his business, saying nothing and ignoring the mini-commotion.