Once upon a time, Mark Sanchez was thought to be the franchise quarterback that the New York Jets had been searching for.

The Jets moved up in the 2009 NFL draft to take Sanchez at No. 5. At first, the moved paid off. Sanchez led New York to two consecutive AFC Championship game appearances and it looked like he had his best football ahead of him.

Instead, Sanchez came crashing down to earth. The former USC star saw his turnover totals rise at an astronomical rate and as a result, he was relegated to the bench just two seasons after having the Jets on the brink of their first Super Bowl appearance since 1969.

Fast forward to Thursday night, when, for the first time since the Jets picked Sanchez nine years ago, New York had a chance to land a franchise quarterback in the NFL draft. Ironically, the pick wound up being another USC quarterback, Sam Darnold.

Historically, USC quarterbacks have not fared well in the NFL. However, that is not the problem at hand in this situation. New York’s No. 3 overall pick has drawn some eerily similar comparisons to the player once known as “The Sanchise.”

Upon arriving at USC, Sanchez took a redshirt year — just like Darnold. In 2007, Sanchez took over for the injured/ineffective John David Booty late in the season and made three starts — just like Darnold, who took over for Max Browne in 2016 following a 1-2 start to the season.

Both Sanchez and Darnold led the Trojans to Rose Bowl victories over Penn State and won offensive MVP honors in the game. Sanchez put up 413 passing yards, which was good for second in Rose Bowl history at the time. Darnold leaped Sanchez in the record books with a 453-yard performance.

While all of those aforementioned similarities may seem like happy go lucky coincidences, the tide begins to turn diving deeper into the numbers.

In 2008, Sanchez doubled his interception total from the previous year, throwing 10 picks on the season. Darnold’s interception total rose from nine to 13 from his redshirt freshman season to his redshirt sophomore year. Not only did Darnold’s interception total rise, he led the FBS in turnovers with 22, losing nine fumbles and 13 picks on the season.

While both quarterbacks were able to get the job done despite turnover woes, it marked the beginning of a disturbing trend for Sanchez once he arrived in the NFL.

In his rookie year, Sanchez threw a whopping 20 interceptions. His interception total dipped down to 13 in his second year, but the turnover bug returned, as he threw 18 picks in his final two seasons with the Jets.

Can Darnold avoid the same problems that led to Sanchez’s demise?

Sanchez thinks so, as he believes that Darnold has the personality and support system to shake off the harsh criticism that comes with playing in New York.

“It’s going to be different than anything he’s ever experienced, I can tell you that,” Sanchez told ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “But he’s ready for it and he has a great family. Any kid going to the NFL — no matter where they play, but especially New York — I impress upon them how different it is from college.”

Darnold will be entering a hotbed where his every move will be scrutinized, both on and off the field. It will take some getting used to, but Sanchez believes Darnold will be just fine if he remains focused on the task at hand — winning football games.

“I think the most important thing for him — and this was big for me — is to make sure football is your priority and working hard is your priority,” Sanchez said.

If Darnold continues to struggle with the turnover bug, it will be difficult to shake the Sanchez comparisons, no matter how he endears himself to the fan base.

Nine years after picking a USC quarterback who didn’t pan out because of his propensity for turning over the ball, the Jets and general manager Mike Maccagnan will have to hope the same situation doesn’t play out again.