During the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ we considered Abu Bakr as peerless and then ʿUmar and then ʿUthman (coming next to him in superiority) and then we used not to differentiate between the companions of the Prophet.  

كُنَّا فِي زَمَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لاَ نَعْدِلُ بِأَبِي بَكْرٍ أَحَدًا ثُمَّ عُمَرَ ثُمَّ عُثْمَانَ ثُمَّ نَتْرُكُ أَصْحَابَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لاَ نُفَاضِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ  

We used to say in the times of the Prophet ﷺ: We do not compare anyone with Abu Bakr. ’Umar came next and then ‘Uthman. We then would leave (rest of) the companions of the Prophet ﷺ without treating any as superior to other.  

كُنَّا نَقُولُ فِي زَمَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لاَ نَعْدِلُ بِأَبِي بَكْرٍ أَحَدًا ثُمَّ عُمَرَ ثُمَّ عُثْمَانَ ثُمَّ نَتْرُكُ أَصْحَابَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لاَ تَفَاضُلَ بَيْنَهُمْ  

"عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: كُنَّا فِى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ الله ﷺ وَبَعْدَهُ نَقُولُ: خَيْرُ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ الله ﷺ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، ثُمَّ عُمَرُ، ثُمَّ عُثْمَانُ".