When it comes to Will Anderson, who ranks No. 2 in sacks in Alabama history, everything is relative.

Anderson posted an eye-opening 17.5 sacks and 34.5 tackles for a loss through 15 games of his 2021 season, only to have those numbers fall to 10 sacks and 17.5 tackles for a loss in 13 games last season.

The junior still tied former teammate Drew Sanders for the SEC lead last season in sacks, but questions surfaced at times about whether Anderson was playing as dominantly in 2022 as he did in 2021.

Former NFL general manager Rick Spielman, who worked alongside Nick Saban with the Miami Dolphins and has most recently advised Alabama players on their NFL futures, raised the topic Wednesday with Anderson at the NFL scouting combine.

Asked Spielman on CBS Sports: “Do you think it’s a fair assessment that people say you didn’t play as well this year, compared to what you did the year before?”

Responded Anderson: “I don’t think it’s fair at all. Because if I think if you understand football and look at football, it’s more than what you see on the sheet. There’s different ways to affect the quarterback: getting him off his spot, getting him to throw interceptions, and helping other people to get sacks. Forcing him around the pocket, moving him around the pocket.

“Those are all the things as an elite pass rusher that you do. It’s more than just getting sack. They say, once you get one sack, they come in bunches. That’s one thing I try not to worry about. As long as I’m affecting the quarterback in some type of way and getting him out of the pocket and making other people around me help them make plays and them throwing an interception, I know that I’m doing my job.”

Anderson spoke in November about how defenses’ attention on him last season helped create opportunities for his teammates, and reiterated that Wednesday in Indianapolis.

“The coaches did their best job to put all of us in situations to go out there and make plays, go out there and play as one unit,” Anderson told CBS Sports. “And I think they did a really good job of doing that.”

And himself, Anderson managed 2.5 sacks against Vanderbilt in September and eight quarterback hits a few weeks later against Texas A&M.

“That game, we really got after them from a pass-rush stance, a technique stance,” Anderson told NBC Sports on Wednesday. “Just showing an ability to get to the quarterback and affect the quarterback.”

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.