Sylvester Williams recalled the moment that explains how significantly his career has shifted over the past year. At the end of Saturday’s practice, Broncos coach Gary Kubiak singled him out in front of the team for his relentless effort.

Williams’ progress remains central to the defensive line. If the nose tackle reaches his potential it would echo across the front seven.

“To hear that (praise) meant a lot. They preach, ‘Finish plays, be disruptive.’ They want 100 percent,” Williams said after Monday’s practice. “I would say there were opportunities for me to get noticed (last season) if I played better, but obviously I wasn’t meeting their expectations. It’s a different year for me. Hopefully I can play up to their expectations and keep it going.”

Entering his third season, Williams relishes change, embraces the pressure. He weighs 318 pounds after, on orders, adding weight over the past month. He remains in the middle, but the switch to the 3-4 defense revised his job description. He no longer is asked to hold the line. He is asked to move it.

“Penetrate. Get up the field and make plays, that is what coach (Bill Kollar) talks about all the time,” Williams said. “I think it’s helping me out a lot. I love to get off the ball.”

WATCH: Biggest surprises at Broncos training camp so far

Williams’ ability to reach the backfield stood out at North Carolina, convincing the Broncos to select him with the 28th pick in 2013. He barely played as a rookie, but started 13 games last season. Terrance Knighton, who remains a close friend, predicted Williams’ would “break out” last season, and helped him learn to dissect film and recognize blocking nuances. Williams grew mentally, but physically the 4-3 failed to bring out Williams’ talent, leaving him a first-down player with 18 tackles. In the 3-4, Williams provides versatility, a bear of a man capable of moving up and down the line. Williams remained active Monday as the defensive line produced its first tipped passes in padded 11-on-11 drills.

Williams has no desire to leave the field, and continues to push toward that goal by leaving everything on the field.

“At the end of his practice he was at his best,” Kubiak said. “He has responded to Kollar’s way of coaching and what Bill is trying to get him to do. He has been an impressive player. Not only through what little bit we’ve seen in camp, but he did it through the offseason, too.”

Williams will be counted on to slow the run. But he won’t be typecast. He is looking to do damage after playing tentatively last season, afraid any mistake would land him on the bench.

“I am able to do some of the things again that I was good at in college,” Williams said. “I will get some double teams. If I get a one-on-one matchup, I feel like I can make a play.”

The Broncos defense boasts five returning Pro Bowlers, and added Shane Ray, a top-10 rookie talent, to help rush the passer. The only question lingers up front. Great teams build from the inside out, and Williams appears determined to reverse the perception of him and the unit he’s been trusted to anchor.

“This is the hardest working group I have been around since I’ve been here,” Williams said. “We have guys who can play all positions. It gives a chance to stay fresh. We are not focused on numbers. We are focused on getting better. And I am doing everything I can to show the coaches they can believe in me.”

Troy E. Renck: trenck@denverpost.com or twitter.com/troyrenck

Tackling the competition

The Broncos continue to praise the progress of nose tackle Sylvester Williams, an early star in camp. NFL reporter Troy E. Renck examines how he ranks in production among the first 10 tackles drafted in 2013:

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