The 20-year-old has long-term designs on a place at the heart of defence, although Barker insists he will continue to operate primarily as a right-back this term.
Nevertheless, the Shakers boss has been happy to give Jones game time in the middle of the back four in recent friendlies as his squad is not particularly well stocked in that area - a fact thrown into sharp focus when Efe Sodje sustained a nasty head injury against Morecambe on Saturday.
"We do want to have a look at him there because we do believe, due to numbers, at some point he may have to play there," said Barker.
"So it's just a matter of getting him on the pitch relatively quickly. Yes, I think he may have to play there at some point, but I predominantly see him as a right-back at the minute.
"It's good to give him that extra experience. He thinks that eventually he will become a centre-half. We haven't got massive numbers so at some point he may end up playing there."
