Don’t underestimate the value of range. It can help you get tackle on prey before they warp off, and let you keep enemies tackled while kiting them. No ship can win a DPS race at every range. Instead, you should fight at the range in which you can win DPS races. For example, brawlers like to fight up close and use scrams and webs. Scram kiters like to fight at the edge of scram range and use scrams and webs. And kiters like to fight outside of enemy tackle range and use points (warp disruptors).
It also depends on your target. You really don’t want to get too close to a ship that uses blasters for example while getting close to targets that use long-range weapons allow you to mitigate their damage.
If your in a fast, long range ship usually your tank is a wet paper bag but you have no problem keeping up with a MWD speed wise. You can keep away from things like blaster boats but still have them tackled. You want to keep out of web/scram range yourself otherwise your in a new clone back in station.
Also on a gate if your at zero and a target comes through most scrams can’t reach the whole area a target will appear. So a long point will get initial tackle easily while others burn to the target to get a scram.
Then you have specialized ships like the Daredevil. It’s web range can be about equal to a long point if fit right. So 90% web at point range you are still much faster than someone even with their MWD on.
Range is powerful when coupled with speed. Lets say you’re fighting a 1v1. You have a scram and web and you can go 1500 m/s and do 1000 dps up to 10km. Your opponent has a disruptor and can fly at 2500 m/s and do 500 dps up to 30km. Who do you think wins that fight, assuming both are buffer tanked?
The advantages of scramming, webbing, bigger buffer tank, better damage mean absolutely nothing if you can’t catch your target.
Even in cases where you are slower but have good range like with a Harbinger, your tracking is too weak to hit someone orbiting you at 2000 km/s at 20km in, say, a Kikimora.