The newest addition to the Detroit Lions offensive line knows the reputation of the group he is joining around the league given the dominant performances in recent seasons.

Kevin Zeitler, the Lions' projected starting right guard who was signed in free agency to replace departing Jonah Jackson, was flattered when Detroit reached out to see if he was interested in filling that void given the offensive line's reputation around the NFL as one of the best group of blockers.

"The tradition you've heard about Detroit the last couple years and the fact they wanted me to come in and be a part of it, I was honored," Zeitler told the Free Press.

Zeitler, 33, is the oldest Lions lineman in the projected starting group, beating out fellow guard Graham Glasgow, who slid from right to left this offseason, by a year. Despite his age and experience, Zeitler feels the excitement and the push to learn everything as soon as possible because he joined a new team in training camp.

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"I feel like I'm a rookie right now," Zeitler said. "You can do all this stuff, I've done a version of all this stuff, but as you learn in football, the exact same goal can be done in a bunch of different ways. I'm trying to make sure I do it the way they want it here."

The veteran offensive lineman entering his 13th NFL season spent the moments after Tuesday's practice to get in more 1-on-1 work with offensive line coach Hank Fraley, practicing his footwork in pass protection and his downhill run blocking.

The former Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman said he is getting the extra repetitions to understand the subtle differences between the Lions' preferred scheme and how his previous teams operated.

"(I'm) just always trying to get better at something," Zeitler said. "There's different ways things are done here so I got to put that little bit of extra work in every day to make sure I get it done the way they want."

The Lions coaching staff has helped him get up to speed quickly so he could slot into the starting offensive line alongside left tackle Taylor Decker, Glasgow, center Frank Ragnow and right tackle Penei Sewell, saying he is "very impressed" with Fraley, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, head coach Dan Campbell and the rest of the staff for how they operate.

"A great staff," Zeitler said. "Very, very detailed and great energy. But they also are very smart in terms of how to manage. They know when to work, know how to manage us, know how to give us time for recovery. I'm very impressed with, overall, how the program is being run right now."

One of the Detroit-specific adjustments, Zeitler said, is learning how to block for a quarterback like Jared Goff compared to his last signal-caller, 2023 MVP Lamar Jackson. Jackson's ability as one of the best rushing quarterbacks of all-time required different responsibilities from his big guys up front compared to Goff, who does not venture on scrambles much at all but thrives on processing from the pocket due to being "quick as a whip" as Zeitler described it.

"He makes plays," Zeitler said. "It's a different type of pocket than I've had a different couple years, but it's all good. Football can be done a million different ways and obviously, it's been very successful."

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Zeitler has been the starting right guard in practice between the Lions' two All-Pro offensive linemen, Sewell and Ragnow, as Glasgow flips to the left side to fill Jackson's vacancy. Zeitler is coming off his first and only Pro Bowl appearance since his first NFL season in 2012, giving the Lions three reigning award winners on the right side of the line.

Ragnow, who said he is healthy Monday after finishing the 2023 season with a long list of injuries, has been impressed with what Zeitler has brought to the interior through a week of practices.

"He's obviously a veteran player," Ragnow said about his new right-hand man. "Played a lot of ball, seen a lot of ball so it is good to hear how he sees things and just try developing that relationship with our communication. It is a work in progress but he's a heck of a player."

The respect between Zeitler and his two new All-Pro teammates is a two-way street. The three can be seen talking between reps in practice to learn from each other and understand what they are seeing.

"Those are two amazing players," Zeitler said. "It's very obvious why just being around them on and off the field. I just got to get in there and make sure I get up to their level."

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How Kevin Zeitler is working to fit in the Detroit Lions offensive line