As I recall, the 757 issue had more to do with the design of the flaps, where they extend as pretty much one section. The other aircraft in the size class have flaps in a couple of sections so it breaks up the flow. As a result, the 757 has wake more like an aircraft about twice its weight. It also is pretty close to the old "heavy" limit without going over, so that may have been some factor, but not that much of one. The heaviest of the 727s is over 200k, and most of the other heavies are more than 500k.
Without knowing more, I'd venture that the -90 climb performance that Doug mentioned is more related to Delta's climb speed schedule than anything else...