The San Francisco 49ers snagged a 16-10 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 2 of the preseason. They're now a step closer toward the regular season where the games count.

While the exhibition contests may not count toward the standings, they have plenty of meaning for players either battling for roster spots or starting jobs. More 49ers starters played against the Saints than played against the Titans, but it was still a relatively light group of top-of-the-depth-chart players for San Francisco.

That left plenty of opportunity for stocks to rise and fall. Here's where things landed after Sunday evening:

Winner: WR Jacob Cowing

It's tough to ask for a better preseason debut from Cowing. He caught four of his five targets for 51 yards and added a 19-yard run on a jet sweep. Cowing also reliably worked in as the punt returner. If he can credibly occupy a Ray-Ray McCloud type role where he's a return man and gadget player on offense in Year 1, it would be a nice mid-round win for the 49ers.

Loser: OL Nick Zakelj

Zakelj started at left guard for San Francisco and didn't perform particularly well. The biggest hit quarterback Brock Purdy took all night came from the pass rusher who beat Zakelj. The 49ers also didn't have a ton of success running to the left side. Overall it looks like Zakelj is on track to make the team as a versatile interior reserve. It's hard to imagine he moved his way up the depth chart after Sunday's showing.

Winner: QB Josh Dobbs

The backup QB battle got a little more interesting Sunday night. Dobbs was the first signal caller in after Purdy. After the first preseason game, we speculated Dobbs might fare better with the second unit. That proved to be the case. He looked more comfortable with a better supporting cast and his legs continue to help him extend plays in unique ways. Brandon Allen, who was okay Sunday, likely remains the leader in the backup quarterback race. After Dobbs' Week 2 performance though, things are much more interesting going into Week 3.

Loser: QB Brock Purdy

This isn't to say Purdy is bad now. He just had a tough night behind a not-so-great version of the 49ers' offensive line. He finished his two series Sunday two-for-six for 11 yards, and his worst throw of the game was nearly intercepted. He rolled to his left and couldn't find anyone open, so he flipped his hips and threw all the way back across the field to tight end Eric Saubert who had two defenders in his area. Saubert knocked the ball away from the Saints defensive back to erase the INT, but it was an extremely poor decision from Purdy that he would likely not have made in a regular season setting.

Winner: DL Alex Barrett

We continue leaning toward Barrett being a practice squad player for the 49ers, but his preseason showings have stood out in a thin defensive end room. After posting a pair of pressures in the preseason opener, he backed that up with a strip sack where he also recovered the fumble. It was one of two tackles for loss for him on the evening.

Loser: WR Ronnie Bell

Bell hasn't been able to translate a handful of strong practices into preseason games. His outing Sunday was particularly rough. He caught just two of his seven targets, posted a couple drops, and nearly had a fumble. There's a real chance Bell's inability to show up in preseason games, where he has ample opportunity to shine, could be the difference in whether he makes the final roster. A bad night like Sunday certainly doesn't help his cause.

Winner: LB Tatum Bethune

Bethune can play. Whether he's a career special teams guy or an eventual starter, Bethune has a future in the NFL. He's not perfect, but he spends so much time around the football and has the requisite athleticism to be a defensive weapon in the modern NFL. He posted nine tackles with a tackle-for-loss Sunday. The TFL came after defensive lineman Shakel Brown blew up the run in the backfield. Brown lost the ball carrier, but as he started to escape the backfield, Bethune triggered downhill and stopped the play for a loss.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Stock watch: Who's up, who's down after 49ers 2nd preseason game?