The Denver Broncos installed Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett as their head coach and traded five draft picks, including two first-rounders, and three players to obtain nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson during the offseason.

The Broncos will end their season on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers trying to avoid the first 13-loss showing in franchise history with an interim coach at the helm after firing Hackett 10 days ago and the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense after averaging 16 points in 16 games.

MORE NFL:

· LINEBACKER TERRELL LEWIS IN LINE TO PLAY AGAIN

· WILLIE ANDERSON, DEMARCUS WARE ON PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME’S SHORT LIST

· BILLS SIGN FORMER ALABAMA SAFETY AFTER DAMAR HAMLIN’S INJURY

But even a 4-12 team like the Broncos has bright spots. The Denver defense ranks 10th in points allowed and seventh in yards allowed in 2022 in the NFL, and on Thursday, cornerback Patrick Surtain II was presented with the Demaryius Thomas Team MVP Award by the Pro Football Writers of America’s Denver chapter.

“A big honor, man,” Surtain said. “First off, I’d just like to thank my teammates, my coaches for pushing me every day to be the best person, the best player I could be. Without them, who knows? …

“It just goes to show the success I had this season. Just leading into the season, this is one of the goals I wanted to have. It’s an honor, a huge honor.”

Surtain already has been selected as a Pro Bowler for this season, and next week, The Associated Press will announce its All-Pro team for the 2022 campaign, another one of Surtain’s individual goals.

RELATED: ALABAMA IN THE PRO BOWL: 52 ALL-STAR PLAYERS

“I just set my goals down before the season,” Surtain said. “I wrote down a few goals, individual goals I wanted to achieve, and, obviously, it came into fruition. There’s still more to go. There’s still more to improve on. But at the end of the day, I’m glad of the player I’ve become. Compared to Year 1, Year 2, it’s a night-and-day difference.”

The goals that didn’t get met for Surtain involved his hopes for the Broncos. Denver won two of its first three games but has won only twice in the 13 games since. The Broncos have nine losses by seven or fewer points and have been beaten six times even though the opponent didn’t reach 20 points.

“Obviously, team goals come in — Super Bowl, playoffs,” Surtain said. “Obviously, we ain’t meet that goal, but there’s still years left to prove that. It’s still something we can work on, but I’m still humbled and honored to receive these accolades. At the end of the day, it’s an honor and a blessing.”

Surtain joined Denver from Alabama as the ninth selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. The former SEC Defensive Player of the Year does not have eye-popping standard stats in his second season.

Surtain has 58 tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions, 10 passes defended and one forced fumble in 2022.

Another stat gives insight to Surtain’s level of play: Opposing quarterbacks have targeted the receiver covered by the former Crimson Tide star 76 times this season. Among the other cornerbacks who have started every week in 2022, only four cornerbacks have been targeted fewer times than Surtain – the Seattle Seahawks’ Tariq Woolen, Washington Commanders’ Kendall Fuller, Philadelphia Eagles’ Darius Slay and Baltimore Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey (another former Alabama All-American).

Woolen, Slay and Humphrey also are Pro Bowlers this season.

“Very consistent person, very consistent player,” Denver defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero said about Surtain on Wednesday. “You get the same high-level effort, high-level focus, concentration every day from him. He’s just a pleasure to coach. Good guy – great guy. Great guy to talk to, great guy to hang out with. Obviously, a talented player who does everything the right way, so it’s been really fun.”

The Broncos close their season with a home game against the Chargers at 3:25 p.m. CST Sunday. Los Angeles is advancing to the AFC playoffs as a wild-card qualifier.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.