Improved positioning in the 2018 draft order was a silver lining to the Bears’ 23-10 loss to the Vikings on Sunday. They will have the eighth pick in the first round, according to the Tribune’s calculation. The NFL will officially announce the draft order this week.

With a 5-11 record, the Bears tied the Broncos, Jets and Buccaneers but will pick after them because they played a more difficult schedule, according to the NFL’s formula. The Bears’ opponents finished with 143 wins, more than the Buccaneers (142), Jets (133) and Broncos (126).

If the Bears use the pick to select a player, it would be the fourth consecutive season they picked in the top 10. He would join receiver Kevin White (seventh), outside linebacker Leonard Floyd (ninth after trading up from 11th) and quarterback Mitch Trubisky (second after trading up from third) as a selection in that streak.

It would be the franchise’s longest streak of years with a top-10 pick since 1972-76.

Protected pick: The Bears retained the conditional 2018 seventh-round draft pick they offered the Chargers in the midseason trade for receiver Dontrelle Inman.

For the Chargers to have gotten the pick, Inman needed 25 receptions for the Bears, according to a person with knowledge of the trade. He finished with 23 in eight games after catching five passes Sunday for 94 yards.

By keeping the pick, the Bears have seven selections in April’s draft, with no third-rounder but two picks in the fourth round.

Inman crept toward triggering the condition Sunday as the Bears threw 24 times in the second half.

Tricked out: The biggest highlight Sunday was one that will make the season reel: Bryce Callahan’s 59-yard punt return for a touchdown on a trick play that looked familiar to Bears fans.

The Bears used returner Tarik Cohen as a decoy, and it worked to perfection. He acted as though he was going to catch the ball near the Vikings’ sideline, while Callahan actually caught it across the field. Callahan began the play by kneeling a yard from the Bears’ sideline, hiding in plain sight.

“I tried not to give anything away,” he said. “We had some guys come stand by me on the sideline to try to hide me.”

The Bears suspected punter Ryan Quigley would direct the kick toward Callahan based on how Quigley was pointed. The punter’s “tilt,” Callahan called it.

Callahan had to slide to catch the punt, but he got up cleanly.

“Wide-open field,” he said. “Touchdown.”

The trick play was particularly gratifying for Callahan because the Bears ran that exact fake against the 49ers in 2015, but Callahan’s 65-yard return for a touchdown was called back by a holding penalty.

On Sunday, Callahan quickly scanned the field for flags after he reached the end zone.

“I finally got in there with no penalties,” he said.

Former Bears special-teams coordinator Dave Toub popularized this fake in September 2011 when Johnny Knox scored on it against the Packers. But that touchdown also was negated by a penalty.

Extra points: The Bears finished 0-6 in the NFC North. It was their first winless season in their division since 1969, which dates to the NFC Central. John Fox’s three-year record against division opponents is 3-15. … Mike Nugent’s 55-yard field goal was the Bears’ longest since Nov. 1, 2015, when Robbie Gould hit from 55 yards. It tied Nugent’s career long. … It was the third game this season in which the Bears’ offense did not score a touchdown. The others were a 31-3 loss to the Eagles and the 17-3 win over the Panthers. … Running back Jordan Howard had 9 yards on nine carries. It was the third time in 16 games he rushed for fewer than 10 yards, but he still finished the season with 1,122.

rcampbell@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @Rich_Campbell

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