On May 11, 2017, the Denver Broncos signed Rios as an undrafted free agent after he was not selected during the 2017 NFL draft.

[3] On September 2, the Broncos waived Rios as part of their final roster cuts and he was signed to the practice squad the next day.

During his time in the hospital, Rios lost 50 pounds; however, he would recover and return to play for UCLA in 29 games.

Rios' near-death experience has been retold on the Pac-12 Network's show "The Drive" and Animal Planet's "Monsters Inside Me" (The Killer in the Lake, season 5 episode 4).

Although Rios did not receive an invite to the scouting combine, NFL Draft Scout shows that he posted a 4.45 40-yard dash and put up 18 bench press reps at his pro day, eventually earning a spot in the NFL with the Denver Broncos in 2017.