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The experiment is one of several coach Nick Saban has tried this spring, moving players around to gauge whether those individuals could be better utilized at other positions.

Using junior cornerback Eddie Jackson at safety has "worked out really for us," Saban said following Alabama's scrimmage Saturday.

Jackson has spent the past week at safety. Jackson saw time with the first-team defense Saturday next to senior Geno Smith.

Alabama is replacing both of its starting safeties from last season -- strong safety Landon Collins and free safety Nick Perry.

"Having him and Geno back there for us," Saban said, "gave us two guys that have played some, have experience, understand the system a little bit."

The 6-foot, 195-pound Jackson started four games at cornerback as a freshman in 2013.

After suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament last spring, Jackson returned and started 10 of the 11 games he played in.

The Lauderdale Lakes, Florida native posted 41 tackles, a sack, an interception, six pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

Jackson was named the Tide's Defensive Player of the Week following wins over FAU and Mississippi State.

"Instincts really help [at safety], and that's one thing that Eddie's always had really good football instincts and awareness," Saban said. "We'll see how this works."

Jackson previously shared first-team reps at cornerback this spring with players such as senior Bradley Sylve.

"Eddie's got to improve, in my opinion, as all players do," Saban said in late March. "Probably gave up too many big plays last year, and that's something we've got to improve on. You've got to believe, trust in the technique that you're being taught and go out there and try and execute and do it and use all the things that you're being taught to help you have a chance to be successful, and I don't think we did that last year enough in the secondary.

"And that's something that I think we need to make a big improvement on for next year, and Eddie is one of those guys that needs to improve."

Sophomore cornerback Tony Brown has consistently worked with the first-team defense during portions of spring practice open the media, an early favorite to start opposite senior Cyrus Jones, who is not participating this spring as he works back from an offseason procedure on his hip.

Other cornerbacks in the mix for playing time include redshirt freshman Marlon Humphrey and redshirt sophomore Anthony Averett.

Rivals rated Humphrey as a five-star prospect last year. Averett posted the fastest 40-yard dash time on the team during the Tide's spring testing (4.30), according to a source.

Saban praised both following Saturday's scrimmage, noting Humphrey has "made progress" and that Averett "has done a good job this spring."

Saban has yet to decide whether Jackson will stay at safety, the coach said Saturday.

"I think we're still going to evaluate that," Saban said. "I think in the long run we want to get our best players on the field in the secondary and make sure they fit the roles that they need to play. In this day and age, we end up playing a lot of five DBs. We end up playing six DBs in some cases on third down when we play multiple wideout teams with four wideouts or more.

"So [you] have to have the right components to fit the parts. So what happens with Eddie is it's just not all about Eddie. It's how the other corners develop. The experiment was to see how he'd adapt to playing safety, and that's going very well. So now we have the option of playing him at corner or safety. I don't think we need to make that decision right now, but I think it is affected by how everybody else progresses."