Where are these ideas about Geonosis being in the film coming from? Rebels paid a visit to the planet before and it was already devoid of life. So that would be a major contradiction in the canon.

The Prequel novel deals with having to move the Death Star because Geonosis is relatively close to a major hyperspace lane and they want a more secure location. Which contributed to the 20 year delay for the project.

Then lastly, the very first teaser ever shown featured the Death Star hidden over a jungle planet. So I don’t see how Geonosis was ever in the cards.