Now that the Jets have drafted USC quarterback Sam Darnold third overall, the questions become: When will he actually start? And can he be their long-term quarterback answer?

The former matters less in the big picture than the latter.

Whether Darnold starts in Week 1 this year, or later in the season, or not until next season pales in comparison to what he does in the long term for this quarterback-starved organization.

So what was it that Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan saw in Darnold that made him believe Darnold could be the Jets' franchise quarterback?

"First, as a player, we like him from an ability standpoint," Maccagnan said. "He obviously played at a high level in terms of college. He got thrust into playing very early on."

Darnold started (and starred) as a redshirt freshman for USC in 2016. He struggled with turnovers last season, though. Maccagnan said some of those turnovers might have stemmed from the inexperienced players around Darnold.

Maccagnan also likes to draft younger players, and Darnold is young. He doesn't turn 21 until June. So he has a lot of upside, from an age standpoint.

"We brought him in for the visit," Maccagnan said of the Jets' pre-draft visit with Darnold in New Jersey. "We had him for dinner, and maybe one or two of us ordered a cocktail. And, of course, Sam's not legal, so we were joking around with him a little bit. But he's very young. We feel he has a very, very bright future.

"Really, when you put the whole thing together with quarterbacks, you analyze them from an ability standpoint, you analyze them from a character standpoint, and then you see what you think they can grow into. We felt very good about Sam from that standpoint."

Jets coach Todd Bowles said he liked Darnold's "competitiveness," but wouldn't speculate on just how ready Darnold is to compete for the Jets' starting job.

"Once we get him in and he starts the playbook, there is no timetable," Bowles said. "We have to see how fast he learns, and then get some experience. We're not going to throw him in there, but at the same time, we're not going to hold him back either."

Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.