Sure it can. Tkachuck was clearly closer to making the NHL, that doesn't make him the better player in the long run. Virtanen was, as you said, always projected to a project and be less of a scorer but bring other facets. So let's give him the time to be that project. That's all I'm saying.
Short of generational 1st overall players you can also always find players drafted after other players who outperform them. It's not an exact science and it doesn't make the other picks 'bad' either.
If we were drafting biggest need, we probably should have nabbed Sanheim with our 6th then