If loot boxes didn't exist - would the associated games still be as popular?

Not quite - people are quite willing to pay for cosmetic upgrades, like foil cards, alternate-art cards, new card backs (sleeves), and even silly external things like player avatars. There’s plenty to monetize outside of the card collection aspect.

The problem is that digital CCGs like Hearthstone and Shadowverse rely on a slow and grindy economy to keep players engaged with the game over longer periods of time and ultimately encourage them to buy packs and speed up collecting the cards they need for the hot new meta deck, while games like Magic and Eternal actually justify their booster-pack model through “limited” formats like booster draft and sealed deck, unique gameplay experiences that are difficult to replicate without a randomized pool of cards. Furthermore, the sort of gameplay CCGs are typically built around has turned out to be rather difficult to implement in a non-collectible format, with most attempts over the years having some number of failings (horrible balance, lack of variety, different oppressive business model, or even just being a good game but not scratching the same gameplay itch).