I disagree with this. Those guys had talent and their selection spots weren't surprises even if the Pats actually picking them was. A week before the draft Mike Reiss actually guessed the Pats would take Darius Butler with pick 23. Ras-I was like Gronk and Easley, guys who had potential game breaking talent but always was injured; maybe pick 33 was a little aggressive but he fit the classic mold of a 2nd rounder. I have more of a problem with Easley than Ras-I in that they actually spent a 1st (with that valuable 5th year option) on him despite two major red flags - his multiple ACL injuries and questions on his passion for football. He had 2nd rounder written all over him.
On the other hand, Tavon, Richards, and Harmon were just out of nowhere guys who generally had 5th round grades if that by the outside "experts" who even bothered to look at them. Different than the former group in my opinion.
IIRC, Darius Butler had injured his knee late in his senior season at UConn. It's hard to think that's what dropped him out of the first round, however. His testing numbers at the 2009 Combine kinda made him the pSPARQ/RAS leader of his day. I think he ultimately failed with the Pats because he freelanced too much and/or couldn't "get" the Pats coverage schemes - he made several great plays early on, but also allowed several easy TDs by being out of position. Bad fit, regardless. He ended up having a long and productive career as the #3/slot corner in Indy, though.
Ras-I was kinda like Terrence Wheatley v2.0 - highly-skilled, but just couldn't stay off IR.
It seems to me that Ras-I, Wheatley and Butler were all part of the Pats ongoing search for CBs who can cover the right boundary without continuous help over the top. Rowe, I think, is a continuation of that quest (which was more or less fulfilled for awhile with Logan Ryan).
Tavon Wilson was another bad scheme-fit/freelancer who went on to become a very productive starter with his second team. His selection in the 2nd certainly surprised all the network "draft experts", but it apparently wasn't a huge surprise to several teams. It's been documented that Dallas, Atlanta, San Diego, the Pats and a couple other teams either worked him out privately or had him in for a last minute visit in the final 10 days before the draft - after the experts' boards and projections were set. The Pats took him at #48, just before the Chargers' pick at #49.
Of the 14 safeties taken after Wilson in the 2012 draft, only George Iloka and Coty Sensabaugh have been as productive (though they may also have been bad scheme-fits), and 8 of the rest were out of the league in 1-2 years. IOW, a fairly typical safety draft class - slim chance of getting even a decent one after the first round.
In contrast, this 2018 safety class appears to offer rare depth, including perhaps several prospects who seem to have the potential to play the SS/LB hybrid role and cover slot WRs adequately. Harmon's 2013 safety class had similar potential depth, but again, among the numerous safety prospects taken after Harmon at #91, only Micah Hyde and maybe Kemal Ishmael have been as productive.
