METAIRIE, La. (AP) - Darren Sharper was an All-Pro last season, set an NFL record with 371 return yards off interceptions and was some voters' pick for defensive player of the year.
He might not even get his job back when he returns from offseason surgery on his left knee.
The New Orleans Saints free safety is on the physically unable to perform list and could miss two weeks before being activated, and second-year pro Malcolm Jenkins is making his move.
"One of the things that motivates Darren Sharper to work real hard in rehab right now is how well Malcolm Jenkins is doing," New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said Saturday.
"That's just a fact. He sees it. I see it."
Jenkins, the Saints' first-round draft pick in 2009, finishing with 55 tackles while starting six games at cornerback as a rookie. He shifted to free safety in the offseason, and is sharing reps on the first-team defense with fourth-year pro Usama Young.
Jenkins provided the highlight of the first practice of training camp, flipping wide receiver Lance Moore on his head with a huge hit.
"He is someone that obviously has a real good skill set, and he's also very intelligent," New Orleans coach Sean Payton said. "When you get a smart player that has good talent, that's a good combination."
Williams said he always envisioned Jenkins as a safety, but originally thought it would be three or four years before he was ready to change positions. The free safety is the quarterback of the secondary, telling the corners where to line up and making quick verbal adjustments when receivers go in motion.
That timetable has accelerated.
"I'm preparing to be a starter," Jenkins said. "That's what I want to do, but we'll see how this camp comes out. Depending on how Darren's injury works out, I'm just trying to get all the experience I can so if I do get in I can replicate what he did."
Sharper, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who was supposed to be on the downside of his career when New Orleans signed him, played a pivotal part in the defensive turnaround that helped propel the Saints from 8-8 two years ago Super Bowl champions.
In 2008, no Saints safety had more than two interceptions. Sharper matched that total in the season opener against Detroit, finished with nine to tie for the league lead, and returned three of them for touchdowns.
That resurgence did not translate into a fat contract, though. After seeking a three-year deal on the open market, the 34-year-old Sharper re-signed with the Saints for one season with a base salary of $1.5 million, slightly less than he earned in 2008.
His age and questionable knee hurt him, but Williams said he hasn't soured on his value.
"We invented a couple things last year I had never done in 30 years of coaching because of his unique skills," Williams said. "If Darren is ready to go, then we'll find another place for Malcolm to play because he's a good enough player that he needs to play as many snaps as he can."
Sharper won't get a free pass, though. Regardless of what he did last year, he will have to prove his health in training camp.
"It's foolish to think you can walk in and play full speed without practice," Williams said. "The only guy that can do that is Brett Favre."
Notes: Payton said RB Reggie Bush looked sharp in practice and was much healthier than at this time last year, when he entered training camp with a balky knee. Bush is coming off career lows for rushing yards (390) and receiving yards (335). ... FB Heath Evans (knee) practiced in the morning after missing the opening day.