In my opinion the way the gun feels and handles is the key and not all guns are the same. I settled on a Benelli M-1 years ago and haven't felt the need to upgrade to the M-2. I don't need or want 3 1/2" shells. In fact I have two M-1's, one with a 24" and the other 26" barrel. I bought them used and liked them well enough that I sold everything else but an 870 which is the HD gun with a shorter barrel on it.
Compared to the 11-87's and 1100's I'd owned previously the receiver on the Benelli is longer and the LOP on the stock is a bit longer. The barrel length on the Benelli's is actually 26" and 24". If you measure a Remington barrel they are all a bit shorter than advertised. At the end of the day my 26" Benelli is within a fraction of an inch of the same OAL of a 28" Remington and with similar handling qualities. My 24" Benelli compares more closely to a 26" Remington.
If I were still using Remington then I might go 28". But with the Benelli, especially where and how I hunt 26" is as long as I want. The 24" gun gets used more. It is for turkey, upland game, and quick shots while duck hunting on beaver ponds. Shots tend to be close and a quicker gun is more important than a longer barrel to me.
