The F-35 isn’t replacing the F-22, it’s supplementing it. It was always designed as a lower-cost, lower-performance, but more numerous platform. Any increased range over the F-22 is diminished by it’s smaller weapons load.

That’s right. Diagrams and cutaways shown in books do reveal engines at the equator on the backside, but they are not clearly visibly and not circular craters like the superlaser.

It can ferry 8 extra missles but it can’t use (fire) them.