I would say that at that time (in the 1930s) Goering had more stature than any other senior Nazi. Hess was merely Hitler's deputy for party affairs. Goebbels was the media wizard. but not a powerbroker, AFAIK. Himmler was still second-tier.
Goering.... was a celebrated WW I hero. He was the effective founder of the SS (Hitler wrote that he had handed over to Goering a mass of rabble, and which Goering turned into a disciplined force.) He presided over the creation of the Luftwaffe, as Germany's "premiere aviator". (Did he actually fly anymore?) He also supervised German rearmament, which was a great success (more in spite of Goering than because of him, but Hitler didn't know that).