1. Whether I can answer this issue or not does not have any affect on the question of whether Moshiach can come from the dead.
2. Regardless of ur question we find nonetheless that there were big chasidic personalities who said it would be their rebbe after their passing. So practically, whether u understand or not people greater than you or I did choose their rebbe over the people u cited.
3. There are many different ways to conceive of what yeridos hadoros means. If previous generations are greater then that automatically means the oldest should win. The maharsha then wouldn’t compare to rashi and rashi to Chizkiya and Chizkiya to Shlomo hamelech. So u really refuted 99 percent of ur list, the only option ur allowed to say is Shlomo or king David if u count him. And yet the Gemara should have said shlomo instead of daniel. Why did it say daniel? As mentioned earlier a few people say it is because of his desire for Moshiach. If we go by that criteria the Lubavitcher rebbe is surely a contender. Ultimately though I just don’t agree that every person is lower. It’s likely a klal. Many sources for very lofty nechamas or neshama chadashas etc sprinkled in history
4. One reason which easily gets around ur argument, rav breitowitz told a friend of mine as much, that if the rebbe was chosen before he passed away as many in lubavitch want to claim then the field is no longer open to who is the better candidate as the rebbe was already approved for the job. Speaking of candidates is only relevant before a choice is made. Likewise if the rebbe is chezkas moshiach he has a chazaka that he started the process someone who u think is in the middle of the process obviously isn’t a candidate amongst many of who will start the process. If the rebbe wasn’t chosen or didn’t start it would an interesting convo. But if he is in the middle of the mission or designated for the mission all talk of candidates becomes irrelevant. One need not agree with the fact that he was actually chosen to appreciate that this if it were true would address this issue in theory.