Etale and crystalline companions, I

Let $X$ be a smooth scheme over a finite field of characteristic $p$. Consider the coefficient objects of locally constant rank on $X$ in $\ell$-adic Weil cohomology: these are lisse Weil sheaves in \'etale cohomology when $\ell \neq p$, and overconvergent $F$-isocrystals in rigid cohomology when $\ell=p$. Using the Langlands correspondence for global function fields in both the \'etale and crystalline settings (work of Lafforgue and Abe, respectively), one sees that on a curve, any coefficient object in one category has "companions" in the other categories with matching characteristic polynomials of Frobenius at closed points. A similar statement is expected for general $X$; building on work of Deligne, Drinfeld showed that any \'etale coefficient object has \'etale companions. We adapt Drinfeld's method to show that any crystalline coefficient object has \'etale companions; this has been shown independently by Abe--Esnault. We also prove some auxiliary results relevant for the construction of crystalline companions of \'etale coefficient objects; this subject will be pursued in a subsequent paper.