What other ways should there be for someone to gain initial rank upon enlistment?

There already is. Your idea has been implemented for a long while, it's called the Army Civilian Aquired Skills Program.

When I can in, there was the "pre-basic training checklist", that allowed me to get up to E2. And then a recruitment referral allowed me to get E3.

I knew a machinist that came into the army under the old "Skills for Stripes" program back in the late 90's. He came in with that MOS, no attendance of AIT required (just had to do basic), and was given SPC right off the bat.

I did a pre-basic exam. It consisted of a pt test, explaining what the SFC and LTC ranks look like and spelling my name using the phonetic alphabet. That got me to E-2, Eagle Scout got me to E-3.

I would be fine with that, they're talking about Direct Commissions for Cyber Experts similar to Doctors. If they have Mechanical knowledge that would aid in their MOS then sure promote them to PFC or SPC.

Lots of programs in different services. Pretty sure Navy can bring enlisted in at E-6 if high enough skill levels are attained in certain rates. I was offered my E-5 as an MA due to security, federal law enforcement and supervisory skill levels, but turned it down. Most services bring officers in all the way up to O-5 on some occasions depending on experience/education(read about the orthopedic surgeon who was over the age limit who was given an exemption and brought in as an LTC and deployed), don't know if 18X contracts are still a thing, but that was fast tracked e-5 if you finished A school and sometimes e-6 if your a school was the longer ones like SF medic and you distinguished yourself. There are tons of ways for people to come in at higher ranks if they rate it I don't think we need anymore, I think we need retention of our actual combat veterans and enough pandering to everyone's bullshit feelings! Enough of this paperwork crap and back to NCOs being able to handle shit with corrective training that works i.e. If you lose your id a couple times your squad leader makes you an ID out of a big ass brick with a drawing of you on it and you carry it everywhere you go, but that's not allowed anymore cause privates get embarrassed.

There used to be and I am sure there still are programs like Skills to strips that promote to E4 thru schooling then E5 after. Linguist use this program for those that are fluent in other languages already.