Steve Keim was asked about the draft being about luck.
"There is always some luck involved," the Cardinals' general manager said. "But through preparation you can get a little luckier."
That's how the Cards ended up with David Johnson, of course. It's a story everyone knows well now, thanks to the "All of Nothing" series. The Cardinals were set to draft running back Ameer Abdullah in the second round in 2015. The Lions traded up, one spot in front of the Cardinals, to get Abdullah -- who would have been the running back they were looking for.
The Cards were disappointed. But they traded down a couple of spots (to get an extra pick) and went after pass rusher Markus Golden in the second round. That's where the prep came in -- they liked Golden a lot, even though many wondered if Golden could be productive in the NFL as he had at Missouri. Lo and behold, Golden has been, leading the Cardinals in sacks last season. Then the Cardinals went after the next running back on the board, a relative unknown from Northern Iowa who has just happened to turn into one of the best running backs in the league.
The grades were right for the Cardinals. In both cases, some wondered why the Cards took both those guys as early as they did. It worked out -- although luck was involved too. It's a scene that still echoes around the franchise, given the two players who were picked.
