June 11, 2013; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman (21) during mini camp drills at the Broncos training facility. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman may be the starter for the team when Week 1 of the 2013 NFL season rolls around, at least if the words from his own mouth are to be believed.

Dan Hanzus of NFL.com obtained a quote from Hillman Monday, who says he has what it takes to break the label as a change-of-pace back and become an every-down starter:

“You get that when you’re a smaller guy,” the Denver Broncos running back told Around The League on Monday from the NFL Media newsroom. “You can’t take the pounding, but I just brush it off. Of course you hear things, I’m not going to sit hear and say I don’t hear what they say, but you just got to let it go.

Hillman certainly showed potential at times last year as he rushed for over 300 yards and a touchdown. With the recent release of Willis McGahee, Hillman has a chance to compete for the starting job and prove he can do much more than simply change the pace.

For Hillman to win the starting job he will have to play better than Knowshon Moreno and a high-profile rookie by the name of Monte Ball. The former has experience in the system and could be the favorite to start while the latter was one of the most productive backs in the nation behind an elite offensive line in college.

Hillman says he has put on more weight in an effort to be more durable, but he lost a lot of weight during last season and it impacted his play.

If Hillman can keep the mass he has obtained this offseason on and show development this preseason, he may very well be correct and land the starting job in Denver.

Follow me on Twitter for more NFL news and analysis @Chris_Roling