Finally, at the end of the season from hell in which everything that could go wrong, did -- twice -- the Giants caught a break. Both of the top quarterbacks in college football declared for the NFL Draft, which means new general manager Dave Gettleman will have the opportunity to pick the player who will lead this team for the next decade and a half.

Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold, the dueling passers from Southern California who are destined to be judged against one another for their entire careers, announced their decision within 20 minutes of each other on Wednesday night. Rosen was always a sure bet to make the jump, but many draftniks expected Darnold to stay at Southern Cal for another year.

They'll both be available, along with Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield and Wyoming wildcard Josh Allen, setting up the possibility that four quarterbacks could go in the first few picks in late April. The Giants will have a shot to draft at least three of them, assuming the Browns -- searching for a successor to Bernie Kosar since 1993 -- take one.

The Browns will take one. And the Giants should take one, no matter how much gas they think Eli Manning has in the tank at 37. This opportunity is not going to come around again next season, not with a thinner quarterback class and the likelihood that the team's 3-13 record will improve dramatically.

Is it Rosen, the more polished passer from UCLA? Is it Darnold, the talented prospect from USC who struggled with turnovers? Or will Gettleman fall in love with Mayfield, Allen or even Louisville's dynamic Lamar Jackson?

He'll have four months to pore over the film and soak up all the information possible from interviews to make that decision. And it's the only decision. Unless a team even more desperate for a quarterback blows Gettleman away with a pick-laden offer, the GM can't pass up this opportunity.

Yes, Saquon Barkley is a once-in-a-generation talent, but the No. 2 pick is too high to invest on a running back. This draft class doesn't include the "hog mollies," as Gettleman calls them, worth taking that high, either. This spring is all about the quarterbacks, and the Giants are lucky to be in a position to dramatically reshape their franchise.

That could mean another awkward moment with Manning, who won't want to play the role of Kurt Warner to his successor the way the Hall of Famer did for him 14 years ago. Manning made it clear in his comments after the season finale: He wants to play another season, and he wants to play for the only franchise that he's ever known.

Manning will do what he has always done if the team drafts a top quarterback. He'll handle the situation with class, just like he did with former coach Ben McAdoo's clumsy plan to give his job to Geno Smith. The Giants should give him the option to explore a new address, but if he wants to stay, Gettleman and co-owner John Mara should be up front with him about the situation.

He might start the 2018 season, but if Rosen or Darnold is ready, he's unlikely to finish it. Even Manning's most ardent supporters in this fan base have to realize that, after 214 starts -- a number only 45 players in NFL history have topped -- the end is approaching.

This is the chance to map the future. The last time the Giants drafted No. 2 overall, they picked Lawrence Taylor in 1981 and set the foundation for a pair of championships. Twenty-three years later, GM Ernie Accorsi made the draft-day trade to land the No. 1 overall pick in Manning and lay the cornerstone for two more parades in lower Manhattan.

Now Gettleman will have a shot at Rosen or Darnold, or maybe both, when he makes his first pick as the team's general manager. Finally, at the end of the season from hell, there is a glimmer of hope.

Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook.