Lucas Oil Stadium welcomes the defensive backs and specialists to the field on Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

NFL Network will televise the workouts at the annual event from 2 to 7 p.m. CST Friday.

The players will have the opportunity to participate in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill, shuttle run and positional drills.

MORE NFL COMBINE:

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Among the players in the Thursday group are seven with Alabama football roots:

· Alabama defensive back Jordan Battle

· Maryland defensive back Jakorian Bennett (McGill-Toolen)

· Alabama defensive back Brian Branch

· Auburn kicker Anders Carlson

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· Alabama defensive back DeMarcco Hellams

· South Alabama defensive back Darrell Luter Jr.

· Alabama defensive back Eli Ricks

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There are 59 defensive backs and 12 specialists at the combine this year.

The defensive back and specialist list also includes 14 other SEC players:

· Tennessee punter Paxton Brooks

· Florida defensive back Trey Dean

· Mississippi State defensive back Emmanuel Forbes

· LSU defensive back Mekhi Garner

· Texas A&M defensive back Antonio Johnson

· Texas A&M defensive back Jaylon Jones

· Georgia kicker Jack Podlesny

· Georgia defensive back Kelee Ringo

· South Carolina defensive back Darius Rush

· South Carolina defensive back Cam Smith

· Georgia defensive back Christopher Smith II

· Florida defensive back Rashad Torrence II

· Kentucky defensive back Carrington Valentine

· LSU defensive back Jay Ward

First-rounders on the field

Projections vary, of course, but among the players thought to be possible first-round picks when the NFL Draft starts on April 27 in Kansas City, Missouri, who are in the Friday position groups are defensive backs Deonte Banks of Maryland, Brian Branch of Alabama, Emmanuel Forbes of Mississippi State, Christian Gonzalez of Oregon, Antonio Johnson of Texas A&M, Joey Porter Jr. of Penn State, Kelee Ringo of Georgia, Cam Smith of South Carolina and Devon Witherspoon of Illinois.

In the books

The best performances so far at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine include the 4.39-second 40-yard dashes by Auburn linebacker Owen Pappoe and Georgia edge Nolan Smith, 41.5-inch vertical jump by Smith, 132-inch broad jump by Iowa State edge Will McDonald IV and Tennessee edge Byron Young, 6.74-second three-cone drill by Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell and 4.24-second shuttle run by Campbell.

Off the field on Friday

The defensive linemen and linebackers are scheduled to participate in the bench press and conduct media interviews.

The defensive backs and specialists will have their physical measurements taken before hitting the field.

The quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends will undergo orthopedic exams, conduct media interviews and interview with NFL team representatives

The offensive linemen and running backs are scheduled to undergo medical examinations and conduct media interviews.

Who’s next?

The quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends hit the turf on Saturday and the offensive linemen and running backs get their chance on Sunday.

The Saturday group includes quarterbacks Bryce Young of Alabama and Malik Cunningham (Park Crossing) of Louisville, wide receivers Grant DuBose (Park Crossing) of Charlotte, Tank Dell (Alabama A&M) of Houston, Michael Jefferson (Murphy, Alabama State) of Louisiana and Jalen Wayne (Spanish Fort) of South Alabama and tight end Cameron Latu of Alabama.

The Sunday group includes offensive linemen Emil Ekiyor Jr. and Tyler Steen of Alabama, Tashawn Manning (Auburn) of Kentucky and Jake Andrews (Stanhope Elmore) of Troy and running backs Jahmyr Gibbs of Alabama, Camerun Peoples (Clay Central) of Appalachian State, Tank Bigsby of Auburn and DeWayne McBride of UAB.

Combine bests

The NFL has been holding a league-inclusive combine since 1985, but the records are sketchy for the early years of the event. Profootballreference.com has results since 2000, and these are the top performances in each of the combine drills since then:

· 40-yard dash: 4.22 seconds by Washington wide receiver John Ross in 2017 and Tennessee wide receiver Donte Stallworth in 2002.

· Vertical jump: 46 inches by North Carolina safety Gerald Sensabaugh in 2005.

· Bench press: 49 repetitions of 225 pounds by Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea in 2011.

· Broad jump: 147 inches by Connecticut cornerback Byron Jones in 2015.

· Three-cone drill: 6.28 seconds by Oklahoma defensive back Jordan Thomas in 2018.

· Shuttle run: 3.73 seconds by Iowa wide receiver Kevin Kasper in 2001.

The three-cone drill is meant to measure a player’s ability to change directions while the shuttle run tests a player’s lateral quickness.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.