I think you're almost hitting the nail on the head. When we look to add teammates who will add value to our teams, it is often the appearance of value which is more important than the actual value. I suspect this is why we highly value "talent", given that it is easier to telegraph.
When hiring for technical teams, especially in more junior roles, I value someone with good social skills over someone with high technical skills. Technical skills are much easier to teach than social skills.
That's the opposite of my experience. Talkers are a dime a dozen. Tech talents are a gem and you're very lucky to get them. The few of them will do most of your work.