The difference between Tee Higgins/Justyn Ross and Javon McKinley/E.S.B. is NOT failure to develop. Similarly, development isn't what separates Travis Etienne from Tony Jones. Ditto Ian Book and Trevor Lawrence. And not having Bryant, Ferrell, Simmons, and Wilkins in our front 7 on defense wasn't a failure to develop the guys we have.
We get elite offensive linemen and tight ends, sometimes top quarterbacks, and some very good defensive players. But we very rarely have enough of the guys that Alabama, Ohio State, or Clemson are chasing, especially at the skill positions, to hang with those teams for 4 quarters.
The clearest example is what happened with Dexter Williams left. We returned a ton of starters from a very good team, but his absence was quite noticeable in Athens and Ann Arbor. And the year before when we did have him, the lack of any other difference-making skill guys on offense got us exposed against Clemson, who had about 5 to 7 guys as explosive as Williams.
We need to do more than just develop the players better. We also need to get guys like Chris Tyree every year. We have struggled in this regard.