Nothing is hypothetical.
Lopes is a solid route runner with good hands. He isn't fast. He isn't quick. He doesn't have any physical advantages. He is certainly not "a prototypical slot receiver." Do you know what "prototypical" means? You are saying he is the model slot receiver, which others should be based on. That is insane.
Yes, Weah had a good year last year where he went deep and caught a lot of balls. He dropped a lot, too. That is all he can do. He isn't a very good WR. For most schools that is all they would ask him to do and MOST P5 schools have a player just like that, so at many places he wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to do that. We had nothing so he did get that shot at Pitt. This year the QBs were worse and he dropped the opportunities he did have. He isn't a very good player.
Ffrench is pedestrian, as well.
What did you think was hypothetical? You (and others) make Tre Tipton out to be a savior and huge loss. He wasn't a big time recruit/HS player. He has 12 career catches at Pitt going into his 4th year. He can't stay healthy or contribute much when he is, despite a very suspect WR corps. Flowers and Matthews can't get on the field or make plays, despite a very suspect WR corps. I'm dealing in facts and basing my expectations on what is real. You are putting forth the hypotheticals with nothing but hope.
If Lopes and French were our 4th and 5th WRs and even the #3 in a pinch, but behind 2 legitimate WRs? Ok, that isn't great, but you can live with that. The fact they are essentially the #2 and #3 and really asked to do more than that, because Weah is so limited, is really a noticeable deficiency. Honestly, for this to be a good WR corps we would need two legitimate starting WRs and then Weah would be your #3 situational WR and 1 of Lopes, Tipton, Ffrench as your #4 who plays in place of Weah if your legitimate starters can stretch the field and you need more underneath execution from the slot. We are not even remotely close to having those #1 or #2 WRs.