Abdu Khair (may Allah have mercy on him) says that I once heard Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) saying (during a sermon) that in this Ummah, after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the best person is Sayyiduna Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Umar al-Faruq (may Allah be pleased with him), and if I wish, I can also mention the name of the third person.
Hadith Referenceمسند احمد / مسند الخلفاء الراشدين / 1060