What if Smeagol had been a decent person?

I was thinking how divine providence surrounded the removal of the Ring from the grasp of anyone capable of using it effectively by its being taken by Smeagol the hobbit, who infamously (to readers) murdered his friend Deagol who found it and claimed it for himself. His taking of the Ring and ultimately hiding in the depths of Moria kept it out of circulation.

Providence plans for many outcomes, however. What would have happened if Smeagol had been a decent fellow and the Ring had remained in the hands of the first to find it? I don't believe we know anything much about Deagol, but given what we understand of the larger world he didn't find the Ring by accident. I can't bring myself to believe that he was a sacrifice, intentionally allowed to be murdered so that Smeagol might have the Ring, so Smeagol must have been a secondary contingency plan. Why was Deagol originally chosen?