The final hours until the 2026 NFL trade deadline await the Buffalo Bills, and in the midst of their Week 9 battle against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night, it's decision time for general manager Brandon Beane on whether he wants to improve an ailing defense.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears are two teams that have swung trades to acquire defenders, whether they're big names or depth pieces, and Beane has been pressured to kingdom come to be as aggressive as James Gladstone, Ryan Poles and other GMs.

However, there are reasons for Bills fans to feel optimistic about their defense, which ranks 23rd in the NFL in EPA per play and 28th in EPA per dropback as of Monday, if Buffalo does not acquire anyone of note before Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.

1. Geno Stone looked comfortable in Bills' debut

C.J. Gardner-Johnson's release following his one-game suspension for spitting on Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers came with another reason: Geno Stone, who signed a one-year deal in March. After failing to make the 53-man roster, he joined the Bills' practice squad and made his debut on November 1 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Stone tied for the team lead with six tackles while adding a tackle for loss and a pass defended. He was also partially responsible for Davison Igbinosun's first career interception, tipping a Joe Fagnano pass into the air for the rookie corner to snatch.

Stone was called up from the practice squad again on Monday just before the Bills' game against the Vikings, and if he plays well against Carson Wentz and Justin Jefferson, that may deter Beane from going after someone like Budda Baker.

2. Davison Igbinosun has been trending up

Speaking of Jefferson, the Bills' second-round rookie cornerback out of Ohio State, Igbinosun, may have to face him a few times. If he does, it'll be a great chance to present himself to a national audience as someone on the rise.

Igbinosun took the starting cornerback spot opposite Christian Benford from former first-round pick Maxwell Hairston against the Ravens. After three passes defended against the Raiders in Week 6, he tallied another to go with his first career pick in Week 8.

The Bills' defense as a whole rebounded nicely against the Ravens, even if they went up against a third-string quarterback for the majority of the game, and Igbinosun was a main reason for that.

3. An answer at LB awaits on the practice squad

Dorian Williams and Terrel Bernard, the Bills' two main linebackers, have struggled in spots this season, and if they play poorly on Monday night, things may need to change. Buffalo may not have to look outside their organization for help, however.

The answer may come in the form of giving fourth-round rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr more snaps or elevating Shaq Thompson, who made six starts for the Bills in 2025, from the practice squad.

If Thompson were to be elevated, his experience would mesh nicely with a Buffalo defense that does not have a player whose first season in the league was earlier than 2018.

Regardless, Monday night's game will be very telling as to whether Beane will or will not feel the urgency to make a trade acquisition to aid the defense.